Princess Di’s collection on show at palace

LONDON: Rarely-seen possessions belonging to Britain’s late Princess Diana including her music collection and ballet shoes are to go on display at London’s Buckingham Palace to mark the 20th anniversary of her death.

Many of the objects selected to feature in the display were chosen by Diana’s sons princes William and Harry “to reflect their mother’s commitment to duty and their personal mem- ories of her”, the Royal Collection Trust said yesterday.

Diana, the first wife of heirto-the-throne Prince Charles, was killed in a car crash in Paris in August 1997 and a number of commemorative events have been planned to mark her death.

William and Harry attended a private service earlier this month to re-dedicate her grave. They have also commissioned a statue to be erected in her honour outside their official London home.

Among the possessions to be featured in the display are a leather photo frame with pictures of family and friends, a burgundy leather briefcase, and her school “tuck box”, which she used to keep sweets and other treats in while she was away at boarding school, which has the name “D Spencer” written on it.

The tribute also includes a case of cassette tapes, featuring albums by artists such as George Michael, Diana Ross and Elton John, who famously sang at her funeral.

The exhibition opens today and visitors will also be able to see more than 200 gifts given to Queen Elizabeth during her 65-year rein, including a paperweight made from a dinosaur bone and a flag badge worn in space by British astronaut Major Tim Peake. – Reuters