August 2012 will see the 15th anniversary of the death of Diana Princess of Wales. Her death, along with that of her lover Dodi Fayed and driver Henri Paul, in a road tunnel in Paris caused a sensation and a phenomenal surge of spontaneous public devotion, that revealed the almost symbolic role she filled for many millions of supporters around the world. At the time of her death and funeral, it seemed that public interest and support would never fade. Fifteen years on, attendance at the memorials in Britain is still high.
The Formal English Memorials to Diana
Two of the principal memorials to Princess Diana date from 2000. The Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Playground, next to her Kensington Palace home, honours her love of, and charitable work for, children, according to the Royal Parks Foundation, which maintains the sites. Parents can take children there to race around, play in the enormous pirate ship and the teepees and roam the sensory trail. For the safety of the thousands of children who use the park, adults who are not accompanying children can only visit the park briefly, from 9:30 -10 am.
The Diana Princess of Wales' Memorial Walk
The Princess Diana Memorial Walk is a 7 mile long walk which crosses the major green spaces of London – Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park and St James Park. The walkway is identified by 90 plaques featuring the rose symbol which came to be identified with Princess Diana. From the walk, devotees can see several places associated with her life, including Kensington Palace, Spencer House, St James Palace, Clarence House and Buckingham Palace.
The third major monument to Princess Diana, a memorial fountain in Hyde Park, was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth on 6 July 2004. The Royal Parks Foundation reports that over 1 million visitors come to the fountain each year, so Princess Diana is still well remembered in Britain. Oddly, people are encouraged to sit on the edge and cool their feet in the water.
The Two Harrods Memorials
Although the British government approach to commemorating the life of Princess Diana can be seen as restrained, the memorials in Harrods department store, installed by Harrod’s owner and the father of Dodi, Mr Mohamed al-Fayed, are flamboyant. Indeed, Jan Moir in the Daily Mail calls it 'quite staggering in its ugliness' and refers to Harrod's as an 'emporium of vulgarity'. Nevertheless, Mr Fayed says in his website that the response to the shrines has been overwhelming and they will be a permanent fixture in Harrods.
The principal shrine stands at the foot of Harrod’s grand Egyptian escalator and to the right of the toy and souvenir department. It consists of a pyramid containing the wine glass the couple used on their last night together, complete with Diana’s lipstick, plus the engagement ring Dodi Fayed was reputedly intending to give his love. There are 4 huge candles and portraits of the loving couple in intertwined frames. The dedication is simply to Diana and Dodi: royal status apparently dismissed now that the princess has become a Harrod’s display.
The second memorial, at Door 3, is a bronze statue of the couple dancing and seemingly clutching at an albatross above their heads. Mr Mohamed al-Fayed’s personal website explains that, as Dodi and Diana’s union would have been a merger of the religions of Islam and Christianity, they are releasing the albatross – a bird being the symbol, common to both religions, for the Holy Spirit.
The statue is titled “Innocent Victims”, which seems to be a reference to Mr Fayed’s strong belief that the pair were murdered. According to the New York Times (Feb 19, 2008) he specified at the inquest that Prince Phillip and Prince Charles were behind the plot and were aided by British and French Secret Service … and the CIA.
Loyal fans of Princess Diana and lovers of romance are, nevertheless, still likely to be moved by the Harrod’s memorials. There are numerous other remembrances of the much-loved “people’s Princess” throughout Britain, including another statue in Colwyn Bay, Wales, and some in other countries. The number of visitors to the principal sites in London would suggest that the princess still lives on in many hearts.
Despite the fact that attention of mourning fans was initially directed to Paris where Princess Diana's death occured, the French response to memorials in Paris has been very low-key compared to the British effort - indeed almost non-existent.
