FUNERAL PROCESSION ROUTE LENGTHENED.

Byline: Fawn Vrazo Knight-Ridder Tribune News Wire

Pressured by the size of crowds planning to fill central London's streets for Princess Diana's funeral Saturday, Britain's royal family agreed suddenly Wednesday to more than triple the length of the funeral procession's route.

A horse-drawn carriage bearing the body of Diana, Princess of Wales, now will begin its final journey from Kensington Palace, her private residence after her separation and divorce from Prince Charles. Watched by an estimated 2 million mourners, the procession then will slowly travel a 3-1/2-mile route down Kensington High Street, past St. James's Palace and Parliament and toward the historic 11th century Westminster Abbey, where Diana will be memorialized in a service attended by royalty, celebrities and commoners.

The service at Westminster Abbey will be shown live on two giant television screens - about 16 feet high and 22 feet wide - in Hyde Park.

Prince William, Diana's 15-year-old son, reportedly has demanded he and his brother, Prince Harry, 12, be allowed to walk the route directly behind their 36-year-old mother's coffin.

But news reports in London on Wednesday night said there were behind-the-scenes attempts at Balmoral Palace, the royal family's summer home, to discourage William's plan. ``Palace officials are said to be opposed to the move,'' London's Evening Standard said.

In another concession to public desires, the royal family Wednesday made its first significant statement acknowledging the immeasurable outpouring of grief from millions of Britons after Diana's tragic death early Sunday in a Paris auto crash.

The statement, apparently issued with the approval of Queen Elizabeth II, Diana's former mother-in-law, said: ``All the royal family, especially the Prince of Wales and Princes William and Harry, are taking strength from the overwhelming support of the public who are sharing their tremendous sense of loss and grief. They are deeply touched and enormously grateful.''

For a British public angered by what it perceives as the royal family's cold, ``stiff upper lip'' reaction to the tragedy, the statement - coming nearly 3-1/2 days after Diana's death - may do little to turn back growing anti-royal family sentiment here.

Britons watched with surprised concern as the queen, her mother and husband and Prince Charles - with William and Harry in tow - attended church services as usual Sunday, just hours after Diana had died. At the services, in a small church outside Balmoral Palace in Scotland, the princess was not even mentioned from the pulpit by name.

Britons also have wondered why William and Harry have yet to be taken from Balmoral to London to pay their final respects to their mother. The boys are not scheduled to see Diana's body, or at least her coffin, for the first time until Friday, 5-1/2 days after her death.

In what may be perceived as a final royal family snub of Diana, it was announced Wednesday that the queen would not attend the princess's burial in her family's church at Great Brington, about 78 miles from London. Instead, the queen will leave directly for Balmoral after the Westminster Abbey service.

Asked their reactions to the royal family's newly issued statement of sympathy, grieving Britons laying bouquets Wednesday outside Kensington Palace said they were not impressed.

``It's about time,'' said County Essex resident Ina Page, 34, who had journeyed for several hours to lay flowers in Diana's memory. ``It's been three or four days, and nothing has been said. . . . They aren't acknowledging what (the public) is doing, which is why the monarchy will finally die out.''

Noted her friend, Debbie Collins: ``She was her mother-in-law. In normal situations, a mother-in-law would say something.''

As plans for Diana's funeral continued to unfold this week, there was a sense of a behind-the-scenes struggle between the royal family, Diana's family, the public and the prime minister's office - with each side arguing for the type of service it felt would best honor Diana's passing while at the same time maintaining royal dignity and protecting her family's privacy.

Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has been pressuring the reticent royal family to make the funeral more open, said Wednesday that plans are still being modified in light of the extraordinary emotions aroused by the tragedy.

``We're trying to make this a ceremony that Diana would be proud of,'' he said. ``It's not just a national loss - a worldwide loss - but many people are feeling a very personal sense of loss as well.''

With each funeral plan announcement or change, Diana's adoring public is being granted a ceremony closer to the type it believes Diana would have wanted herself. Many commoners, including needy Britons Diana helped with her charity work, will attend the Westminster service. One of her favorite singers, Elton John, will be there, too - and, although royal traditionalists will be aghast, it appears he will sing his pop hit ``Your Song'' in her honor.

The funeral route's change likely would have pleased Diana as well. Her body will be removed from St. James's Palace, the official residence of her former husband, and instead will go to Kensington Palace. The new route will take her body down Kensington High Street and past one of her favorite clothes stores, Harvey Nichols.

As her funeral cortege leaves London for Great Brington, it will pass the apartment of the last love of her life, millionaire Dodi Fayed, who died with her in the crash.

CAPTION(S):

Photo, map, box

PHOTO (color) A boy cries in front of floral tributes to Princess Diana outside St. James's Palace in London. The princess's body lies in the Chapel Royal.

Associated Press

Box: TV coverage

MAP: Revised route for Princess Diana's funeral