Mourners mark Princess Diana's death 10 years on

LONDON, Aug 31 (Reuters) Hundreds of mourners gathered in Paris and London today to mark the tenth anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, an object of enduring fascination around the world.

Flowers, photographs and messages were attached to the gates of Kensington Palace, her London residence, although in far fewer numbers than a decade ago, when a vast outpouring of grief stunned the nation almost as much as her death.

In Paris, where she died in a high-speed car crash alongside her lover, Dodi al-Fayed, a number of mourners gathered and left flowers at the tunnel where the fatal incident occurred.

A note, scrawled on a portrait of Diana in a jewelled crown, read: ''10 years already, Oh how I miss you.'' It was signed ''Monique de Luxembourg''.

''I loved the princess before her death and even more after,'' said mourner Dominique de Fontenay. ''She did great things for the people and was glamorous, and a symbol of modernity.'' A memorial service, attended by Queen Elizabeth, Diana's ex-husband Prince Charles, her two sons, Princes William and Harry, and celebrities including pop star Elton John, began at midday (1630 IST) in a chapel near Buckingham Palace.

Prince Charles' second wife, Camilla, with whom he had an affair while still married to Diana and whom Diana referred to as ''The Rotweiler'', did not attend the service to avoid controversy, although she was invited.

Diana's former butler, Paul Burrell, was not invited.

Dubbed the ''People's Princess'' following her death, aged 36, in the early hours of August 31, 1997, Diana was adored by millions who never met her but contrasted her charisma with what they viewed as a stuffy and hidebound royal family.

The emotional popular response when she died led many commentators to question how long the monarchy might endure without her, but 10 years on it appears to be as solid an institution in Britain as ever.

In a sign that perhaps, with hindsight, Britons feel that they may have overdone the grieving over Diana's death, a survey conducted by Sky News today showed that 55 percent of people thought the mourning had been excessive.

Yet the princess remains the subject of debate, controversy and speculation, especially over what might have happened had she lived and how exactly she came to die.

''SIMPLE AND NICE'' Today's service, broadcast live on TV around the world, featured readings by William and Harry, just 15 and 12 when their mother died, and Diana's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale.

''It should be a good occasion and lots of loud hymns. It should be a very sort of simple and nice service,'' Prince Harry said in a recent interview.

Among the absentees was Dodi's father, Egyptian-born Mohammed al-Fayed. Al-Fayed, owner of the luxury London store Harrods, accuses Britain's royal family of ordering the couple's murder to prevent them from marrying.

He held two minutes silence in Harrods today to mark the anniversary of the death of his son and Diana.

Despite comprehensive police inquiries ruling out foul play, some Britons share al-Fayed's suspicions that the deaths were not an accident. He has waged a decade-long battle to bring his grievances to light, largely to no avail.

However, an official inquest into the deaths will begin on October 2, propelling Diana into the headlines once again.

REUTERS KK DS1706