A child's final tribute to a princess was draped across a balcony opposite St Patrick's Cathedral in Dublin yesterday. A photograph of Princess Diana surrounded by a pink heart and decorated with the Tricolour and Union Flag.
The tribute was passed by 3,000 people from all over the State, including the President, Mrs Robinson, who gathered for an ecumenical service in the cathedral in memory of the princess.
They had taken their seats and standing places an hour before the ceremony began. Those who came later spilled into the adjoining park and sat on the grass as the service was relayed to them through loudspeakers.
Among almost 100 specially invited guests were the Taoiseach, Mr Bertie Ahern; the Chief Justice, Mr Liam Hamilton; the British ambassador, Mrs Veronica Sutherland; the Archbishop of Dublin, Dr Desmond Connell; the Deputy Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Michael Donnelly; the Tanaiste, Miss Mary Harney, and several members of the international diplomatic corps.
Conducting what was one of her final official duties, the President sat in what was formerly known as the Royal Box. Above her hung the colourful Royal Standard - the same flag as covered the princess's coffin on Saturday.
The service, conducted by the Dean's vicar, Rev Peter Campion, included music from Bach. The congregation joined in the hymns Dear Lord and Father of Mankind and Praise, my soul, the King of heaven. Prayers were said for princes William and Harry, the Spencer family and also for Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
In his address, the Dean of St Patrick's, the Very Rev Maurice Stewart, told the congregation the princess had "enriched the human scene as no one else had done within this generation".
He spoke of the "sense of tragedy" which cast shadows over her life and of the great privileges she had inherited - "beauty, charm, position, wealth, a royal marriage. "But in life, reality mocked the privilege, frustrated it. She longed for happiness but it was denied her," he said.
Her story was not simply a gloom of tragedy. The princess's charity work took a "sympathy of rare intensity". "It took courage, patience, persistence. It took love. That is why the world responded to her. She identified with the victims of the world. We recognised that in some way she was acting for us all," he said.
Outside in the morning sunshine, the Irish flag was flying at half mast. An estimated 1,000 people gathered in the park to participate in the service. Ms Petrina Nason (24) from Dublin dressed, like hundreds of others, in black, shed tears as she explained why she was there.
"It is the least she (Diana) deserved. I was overwhelmed by the funeral service in London. I wanted to do something. That's why I came," she said.
Her friend, Ms Kas Nolan (24) from Dublin, had not been able to sign the book of condolence for the princess and came to "express how I am feeling. Irish people have played an important part in the mourning of the princess", she said.
The former Taoiseach, Mr John Bruton, said the princess's death was like that "of a next door neighbour. The universal grief shows that while we live on an island, we are not an island in the caring sense", he said.
Other politicians attending the service were the Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications, Ms O'Rourke, the Minister for Defence, Mr Andrews, and the Minister for Education, Mr Martin.
Clergy present included Bishop John Duggan, representing the most Rev Dr Walton Empey.
Representatives of other denominations included Mrs Lucy Bell (Presbyterian), the Rev Graham Hamilton (Methodist); Major John and Major Julie Partridge (the Salvation Army) and Mr Martin Simmonds of the Jewish community.
Many of the princess's best loved causes were also represented.