Diana Spencer’s former London apartment where she lived before she became the Princess of Wales has been turned into an official tourist site.
Gatekeepers News reports that an official blue plaque was posted on the Coleherne Court building, Old Brompton Street on Wednesday. The development was sequel to a successful campaign led by the London Assembly.
“Diana had, and still has, a very special place in the hearts of Londoners and we are thrilled to see her blue plaque formally placed as a monument to her work for others,” said Andrew Boff, chair of the London Assembly, during the unveiling ceremony.
The plaque reads: “Lady Diana Spencer, later Princess of Wales, lived here 1979-1981.”
The blue plaque is the second significant memorial to Diana unveiled in 2021, the year in which she would have turned 60. Diana’s sons Prince William and Prince Harry in July, jointly revealed a statue of her at the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace.
The Blue plaques are placed on buildings in England that are connected to important historical figures and are maintained by English Heritage. “Blue plaque spotting” is a popular hobby for sightseers and history buffs.
Princess Diana bought the apartment for £50,000 ($67,000), some of the money she inherited from her great-grandmother. She spent two years in Flat 60 of the Coleherne Court.
Gatekeepers News reports that Diana moved to London at age 18 and worked as a nanny and at a kindergarten. She began dating Prince Charles, heir to the British throne in 1980, and they were engaged a year later.
Coleherne Court was regularly besieged by photographers as her public profile increased.
The apartment was sold by Princess Diana’s mother after she got engaged to Prince Charles. It is still a private residence today.
“Lady Diana Spencer, later the Princess of Wales, is one of the most iconic figures in recent British history,” said a statement issued by English Heritage, a charity that manages over 400 of England’s historic buildings, monuments and sites.
“Her troubled marriage to Prince Charles and later relationships were the subject of fevered and intrusive press coverage, but she won a lasting reputation outside her personal life for her extensive charity and humanitarian work.”
