The word “vulnerability” has been used often to describe the character of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and it is about to be used again. It may be a polite way of saying that she was an imperfect angel.

Yesterday the Church of England issued the text of a prayer composed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, to be read at the memorial service in the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks, on August 31 to mark the tenth anniversary of her death in a car crash in Paris.

The prayer talks of her vulnerability, her generosity and her willingness to reach out to the excluded and the forgotten. Lambeth Palace has invited any other clergy who may hold a memorial service to use the prayer as part of their liturgy on the day.

Dr Williams was a relatively obscure figure in the Anglican hierarchy at the time of the Princess’s death; for his anniversary prayer he has drawn heavily on the words of his predecessor, Dr George (now Lord) Carey.

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Dr Carey and Dr Wesley Carr, then the Dean of Westminster, collabor-ated on a series of unusual family prayers that, along with Elton John singing Candle In The Wind, contributed to the bizarre atmosphere of the Princess’s funeral at Westminster Abbey.

Past and present prayers are remark-ably similar. At the funeral Dr Carr told the packed congregation and thousands more who were listening outside: “Although a princess, she was someone for whom, from afar, we dared to feel affection, and by whom we were all intrigued. She kept company with kings and queens, with princes and presidents, but we especially remember her humane concerns and how she met individuals and made them feel significant.”

Dr Carey continued, to the satisfaction of the Princess’s admirers: “We give thanks for those qualities and strengths that endeared her to us; for her vulnerability; for her radiant and vibrant personality; for her ability to communicate warmth and compassion; for her ringing laugh; and above all for her readiness to identify with those less fortunate in our nation and the world.”

Many were surprised that the unconventional prayers, delivered in what is virtually the high temple of the Church of England, included mention of Dodi Fayed, the Muslim son of the Harrods owner, and Henri Paul, the driver, who died in the same accident.

The mood of the moment was unconventional and almost un-English, with floral tributes piled at the gates of Buckingham and Kensington palaces, and the Queen being persuaded by 10 Downing Street to return from Balmoral to London for the ceremony.

Dr Williams has chosen a careful and conservative approach to the Diana industry, and will not be reading his version of the message at the memorial service next week. The last time Dr Williams wrote a published prayer for a special occasion was last September, when he composed lines for use in churches to mark an international day of prayer for Darfur, the troubled region of Sudan.

The text will be in the hands of the Bishop of London, Dr Richard Chartres, who is an executor of the Princess’s will, aided by Padre Patrick Irwin, chaplain to the Household Division. Princes William and Harry are both serving in the Division, and are therefore allowed use of the chapel, which they chose to be the venue for the service.

For the past decade the Princess’s sons have distanced themselves from popular commemoration of their mother, but they have bowed to popular pressure this year. Last month they hosted a concert of their mother’s favourite music at Wembley stadium.

The memorial service will be attended by 500 guests, including the Queen, the Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales and, most controversially, the princes’ stepmother, the Duchess of Cornwall. Some Diana supporters have already expressed their disquiet at the presence of the Duchess.

Another prominent guest will be Earl Spencer, the Princess’s brother, who chose her funeral as a platform to criticise the media and the Royal Family. He has since gone through an acrimonious divorce and is reportedly separated from his second wife.

The public will not be able to buy tickets for the memorial service. Clarence House said that about 100 members of the charities with which Diana was associated would be guests.

The anniversary prayers

God our Father,
We remember before you DIANA,
Princess of Wales,
And offer you our gratitude
For all the memories of her that we treasure still.
Her vulnerability
And her willingness to reach out to the excluded and forgotten
Touched us all;
Her generosity gave hope and joy to many.
May she rest in peace where sorrow and pain are banished,
And may the everlasting light of your merciful love shine upon her;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Father eternal, unfailing source of peace to all who seek you,
We entrust to your love and protection
All for whom this anniversary of the tragic and untimely death of Diana, Princess of Wales
Reawakens the pains of grief and loss. C
omfort all who mourn, that casting all their cares upon you,
They may be filled with your gifts - of new life, of courage and of hope;
Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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