Dafydd Jones will never forget being among the mourning masses in London after Princess Diana’s death.
Speaking with PEOPLE about his photos of Elton John that appear in Elton John: Icon, from ACC Art Books, Jones recalled the historic moment in royal history.
“It felt as if England had gone a bit mad. There was a surge of national mourning,” Jones tells PEOPLE.
“The tube carriages were filled with mostly women carrying bouquets of flowers. They took them to anywhere in central London near Kensington Palace or Buckingham Palace and left them with notes.”
Dafydd Jones. David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty
Jones acknowledges there was also an element of “tension in the air” toward the royals, noting, “There was a lot of anger with the royal family, who were considered cold and to have treated Diana badly.”
Jones covered the heartbreaking event for Tatler, arriving the night before to “claim a spot.”
“Again, there was a crowd camping out through the night outside the Abbey. Shortly after midnight, a van arrived from an Indian restaurant and distributed free food,” he shared.
As the morning came around, the guests for the funeral began to trickle in.
“As the guests arrived, some of them posed a little bit too long for the photographers. This wasn’t quite right for a funeral. The noticeable offenders were the political attendees such as Nancy Reagan and Tony and Cherie Blair,” he says.
Jones also remembers being stricken by seeing Prince William and Prince Harry joining Diana’s brother, Charles, 9th Earl Spencer and their father, the now-King Charles, in the procession.
“It was shocking to see those young boys walking behind their mother’s coffin through central London. At the time, I thought the royals made the boys do it to gain some public sympathy. It was a ruthless move,” he says.
“There were cheers outside when Earl Spencer made his incendiary eulogy. Elton’s song ‘Candle in the Wind’ was the sound of the day. A moment when music transcended the mood and brought everyone together,” he concluded.
Elton’s lyricist Bernie Taupin had rewritten the song, which was about Marilyn Monroe, with new lyrics about Princess Diana. Instead of “Goodbye Norma Jean” — Monroe’s legal name — the lyrics were changed to “Goodbye England’s rose,” in a nod to the late princess.