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The
Diana Memorial Walk
London’s
tribute to the People’s Princess
by
Lucy Moss
Perhaps the most
obvious and appealing place to commence the walk is at Kensington Palace, Diana’s London residence from the time of her
marriage in 1981 to her untimely death in 1997. This modest palace, which dates
back to the early 17th century, is set in the beautiful leafy parklands of Kensington Gardens, a place where Diana
is said to have cherished rare moments of privacy and freedom. She is even said
to have roller-bladed and jogged here – in disguise of course!
To the south of the
Palace are the ornate black and gold Crowther
Gates at which hundreds of thousands of mourners left a great sea of
flowers, messages and toys during the enormous public outpouring of grief that
followed her death. Indeed, flowers are still left here from time to time as a
mark of love and respect, a testimony to the enduring place of Diana in
people’s hearts. It is poignant to
remember that it was from Kensington Palace that Diana’s funeral cortege left
for Westminster Abbey on September 6th 1997.
Diana’s love of
children is well known and this is a fine tribute to her concern and care for
the youngest members of society. It is hoped that this will be just the first of
a number of such playgrounds to be built around Great Britain in Diana’s
memory.
Adjacent to Green
Park, the broad boulevard known as The
Mall sweeps up to Buckingham Palace,
home of Queen Elizabeth II. The Palace’s imposing but austere façade is a
reminder of the difficulties Diana faced as a member of the House of Windsor.
However, it was along The Mall that Diana and her Prince rode in an open-top
carriage past cheering crowds following their fairytale wedding at St Paul’s
Cathedral in 1981. Arriving at Buckingham Palace they appeared on the central
balcony and shared the famous kiss that made the front page of every newspaper!
Buckingham Palace
contains a staggering 660 rooms. 18 of the state rooms, including the
magnificent scarlet and gold Throne Room, are open to the public during August
and September while the Queen takes her annual holiday in Scotland. Beyond Buckingham
Palace lies St. James’s Park,
created by King Henry VIII in the 16th century. Perhaps the loveliest of
London’s parks, the large lake features ducks, swans and even pelicans, and the
central bridge offers fine vistas of Buckingham Palace to the east and the
roofs and domes of Whitehall to the west.
As the mourning for
the People’s Princess gradually transforms into a desire to remember, the Diana
Memorial Walk is a dignified response to the need to commemorate an
extraordinary life. Rather than the brash, commercial ‘Diana industry’ that
once threatened to be her legacy, surely this is what she would have wanted. Further Information
For further
information on the walk and to receive a free leaflet, please telephone the
London Royal Parks office on +44 (0)20 7298 2000 Photo of Diana, Princess of Wales used by kind
permission of Lionel Cherruault ©
1997. To view more of Lionel Cherruault's beautiful photos of Diana, please
visit his website: www.di.uk.com All other photos by
Lucy Moss/Bodo Hornberger © 2000 Reproduction of this
article and/or images, either in whole or in part, including reproduction in
electronic media, is prohibited without the written consent of the author. |
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TM
More than three years
on from the horrific accident that claimed the lives of Diana, Princess of
Wales, and her companion Dodi Al Fayed, the first permanent memorials to the Princess’
life and irrepressible spirit have finally been unveiled in London.
The Diana Memorial
Walk winds its way in a figure-of-eight through four of London’s Royal parks,
linking three palaces and two mansions associated with her life - places Diana
knew and loved. Marked by 90 handsome circular plaques set into the walkways,
the $1.9 million Walk is seven miles long and has been described in the British
press as "one of the most magnificent urban parkland walks in the
world".
Her Kensington Palace
apartments, which were in the west wing, are not currently open to visitors,
however it is possible to take a tour of the Palace’s historic State Apartments
and the wonderful Royal Dress Collection (where Diana’s dresses are sometimes
on display).
By contrast, just to
the north of the Palace is the superb new $2.5 million Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground. Always full with
delighted children, the playground is built around a Peter Pan theme and the
centerpiece of the six play areas is a wonderful wooden pirate ship which just
begs to be clambered aboard. Imaginatively designed and attractively laid out,
the playground’s swings and slides, musical garden, lagoon and wigwams contain
features designed to enable both able-bodied and less able-bodied children to
play together.
To the east,
Kensington Gardens blends into Hyde Park.
This expanse of rolling natural parkland is the largest of central London’s
parks and has been open to the public since as far back as the 17th century.
The Serpentine Lake is a haven for water birds and more energetic visitors will
enjoy the rowing boats which are available for hire.
Crossing the busy
traffic circle at Hyde Park Corner, the Memorial Walk continues into Green Park, onto which faces
Spencer House, the former London town
house of Diana’s family. Built in the 18th century for the first Earl Spencer,
it is considered to be one of London’s finest mansion houses of that period.
The Spencer family sold the house in the early 20th century and it is now open
to the public during most of the year.
Sixteen years later
her funeral cortege passed Buckingham Palace, making its stately way down The
Mall and through the shocked and silent city to Westminster Abbey.
Nearby St James’s Palace was also built by
Henry VIII, and is one of London’s oldest buildings. The impressive red-brick
gatehouse is always guarded by two soldiers of the Royal Household Guard
wearing their distinctive bright red tunics with gold buttons and black
‘busbie’ hats.
The home of numerous
Kings and Queens over the centuries, the Palace became the London residence of
Prince Charles following his separation from Diana in 1992. Diana had her
office here during her marriage and her son, Prince William, now has an
apartment in the complex. Following the Princess’s tragic death in Paris, her
body was returned here to the Palace’s Chapel Royal, prior to her funeral.
Tucked away next door is Clarence House,
home to the Queen Mother. Here Diana spent her wedding-eve in 1981.