Prince Charles and a host of pop acts from Destiny’s Child to Tom Jones turned out for the eight-hour Party In The Park charity concert on Sunday which raised £1 million for the Prince’s Trust. And while Princes William and Harry missed out on the annual London event, 100,000 UK fans showed up as Charles chatted with Atomic Kitten and posed for pictures with Hear’Say.
Before meeting the Prince of Wales, kittens Jenny Frost, Liz McLarnon and Natasha Hamilton promised to put their cheeky ways aside. When asked whether they’d top Geri Halliwell’s antics – the former Spice Girl once famously pinched the prince’s bottom – they said no way.
“We wouldn’t do anything like that with the future King of England,” said Jenny. “It would be so disrespectful.” Yet just moments later they were spotted pinning an “I Love AK” t-shirt on the Prince of Wales. “You can wear it in bed and it will help you keep warm,” said Liz.
The Prince later mugged it up with Hear’Say, but when he told them about his new t-shirt, the group pooh-poohed his sartorial sense. “Oh no, he can’t wear that,” said sultry Myleene Klass. “I’ll send him one of ours.”
Baby Spice Emma Bunton later cosied up to the Prince, whom she’s met on several occasions, saying: “Give Wills a big kiss from me.” And while former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell hoped to chat with the Prince as well, after hearing rival Emma was nearby she decided to make a speedy exit.
“It was made clear right from the start that they didn’t want to be in a situation where they might run into each to other,” said one insider. “Geri wanted to meet Charles but realised Emma would be there, so decided to call it a day and leave the event. We were hoping they would forget their differences for a few minutes, but it wasn’t to be.”
And while fans missed out on Geri roaming the Hyde Park grounds, they certainly caught an eyeful of the singer on stage. She performed a rather risqué set, including the hit It’s Raining Men, flanked by upwards of 30 dancers who licked her arms and tore her clothes.
“It’s great to be back in Britain after two months away,” Geri said. “I’m having a fantastic day. I couldn’t live without you.”
Ronan Keating, David Gray, Nelly Furtado, Ricky Martin, A1 and Shaggy all lent their support to the Hyde Park gig, which sold out in just five hours and 33 minutes. The event, hosted by Slap Bang presenters Ant and Dec, marked the 25th anniversary of the Prince’s Trust.
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
