By Beth Daley, Globe Staff, 09/07/97

ONDON - Four white lilies were tied tightly around a lamp post, a letter of sorrow was scrawled in a royal condolence book. John Morton even held an all-night candle vigil for Princess Diana outside Buckingham Palace.

But on her burial day, the last gift he and more than 1 million others offered the princess was perhaps the most poignant of all: their presence.

Somber faces, sometimes 30 deep, stretched as far as the eye could see along the 3.5-mile funeral procession route.

Diana's lead-lined coffin, draped with the Royal Standard, sat atop a gun carriage drawn by six horses. Twelve Welsh Guards accompanied them.

As the coffin with white lillies and roses on top slowly passed the thousands lining the route, little except sobs and the clip-clop of horse's hooves were heard.

By 4 a.m. yesterday, so many people had poured into the area that the streets around Westminster Abbey were closed. As specially scheduled trains arrived, thousands more tried to get through, but few were successful.

Children sat atop parents' shoulders, tossing rose petals at the coffin, while some mourners perched on ladders to get a final view of Diana. Some couldn't even look.

Bonnie McManus, 65, of Ireland, cried silently into tissues handed out by event workers. Nearby, couples clutched, sobbing.

''This is our farewell, and we need these millions of people to say it properly,'' said Morton, a software engineer from a London suburb. ''She was there for the world. Today, we have to be here for her.''

Impromptu shrines were created at the base of trees and lamp posts, when crowds became too difficult to navigate. Crowd control gates were decorated with recent newspaper photographs of Diana, flowers, and notes of love. An overpowering scent of lilies, sunflowers, roses, and daisies filled the crisp air. Everywhere, there were people, atop ladders, in trees. Some created their own Diana memorials where they stood.

Jennifer Clappard tied a red rose to the gate she leaned on near Kensington Palace. Nearby, Phillip Money wrote a quick tribute on the back of a leaflet to stick on a pole - ''Di and Dodi, you were too good for this world.'' A few feet down, two women hugged each other, one humming ''Amazing Grace.''

As the procession made its way from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey for the funeral service, a hush fell over crowds straining to capture a glimpse of Diana's coffin. Near St. James's Palace, dozens of hand-held radios and televisions were turned down, and children were quieted.

As the coffin passed Allison Bridle, she took in the grim-faced riders towing Diana's coffin.

''You don't want to take photographs,'' said Bridle, 19, a student, wiping away tears. She had made a makeshift candle shrine near the procession route.

''This is too big for photographs,'' she said. ''We just have to remember the people, the atmosphere. There is unity here.''

Labuda Sultana had already walked the procession route for 12 hours by the time Diana's coffin passed her near Hyde Park shortly before 10 a.m.

Holding a 10-foot pole with the sign, ''People's Diana in Heaven,'' Sultana said she was a self-appointed ambassador from Bangladesh.

''She helped the vulnerable ones, my people,'' said Sultana, a dentist, who delayed a trip home to attend the procession.

Chris Tomlin, 27, a printer, had to work all week and couldn't bring flowers to the palace. Instead, he and his wife made black ribbons to sell, with all proceeds going to Diana's charity fund.

''It's all I can do,'' he said near Hyde Park, noting he sold 80 in his first hour. ''I'm going home after this, but I wanted to do something.''

Police moved along others who were selling ribbons and souvenirs for profit, but let Tomlin stay. He sold out two hours later.

Throngs of people, sometimes 50 abreast, streamed toward Westminster Abbey, keeping pace with Diana's coffin. ''I just want to keep sight of her,'' said Janice Deland, 54. ''We don't want to let her go.''

Thousands listened to the service, broadcast from giant speakers. Strangers put their arms around each other as Elton John sang his reworked ''Candle in the Wind.''

Some cried, but Linda Cope, 32, a bank clerk, smiled. Applause broke out after the song.

''I see this as a celebration of Diana's life, not of death,'' she said. ''I've already signed up to volunteer with an AIDS service. That's what should come out of this.''

Others listened to the service on giant screens at Hyde Park, where people moved in unison to the song and sometimes in prayer.

Some gathered around the makeshift shrines. An oak tree near St. James's Palace drew a crowd of about 15.

Aloud, a woman read a poem entitled ''Everyone Please Take Note.''

''Diana, where are you, up in heaven with Dodi too. We all ask the question why, but we all know it is because we pry. As William and Harry grow into men, I beg the world please don't do it to them.''

Everyone clapped. Then the next note was read.

''To Princess Diana and Dodi, Jesus and the angels and my granddad will look after you.''

''You see, it took this long for it to sink in,'' said Edith Preston, 42, at the tree, holding back tears. ''Today we have each other, here. But tomorrow life goes on and we will wake up without her.''

This story ran on page A26 of the Boston Globe on 09/07/97.
© Copyright 1997 Globe Newspaper Company.