An aerial view of the burial site of Diana, Princess of Wales on Septer 9, 2006. ; Princess Diana in Argentina.Photo:David Goddard/Getty
David Goddard/Getty
Princess Dianais buried on the grounds of her childhood home.
He later toldBBC, “There was such a whipped-up feeling of emotion everywhere that I was very worried about where we could safely bury her.”
Charles previously spoke to PEOPLE about Diana’s resting place within the property’s Pleasure Gardens. “She’s in ahappy and secure place,” he said.
While Princess Diana’s gravesite is not accessible to the public, visitors can pay tribute to the late royal at a memorial erected on the property. In November 2023, Charlesvisited his late sister’s memorial, sharing a photo of the building onInstagramand writing, “A special corner of Althorp, this morning.”
Here’s everything to know about Princess Diana’s grave at Althorp.
Princess Diana’s brother Charles chose her final resting place
Lady Diana Spencer and her brother Charles Spencer in 1968.PA Images/Getty
PA Images/Getty
While much of Princess Diana’s bloodline is buried at St. Mary the Virgin church in Great Brington, includingher father, John Spencer, the late princess was laid to rest 80 miles north of the family vault. Her brother, Charles, chose to bury Diana at their childhood home, Althorp Estate, due to concerns about public safety.
Diana’s brother also wanted her sons,Prince WilliamandPrince Harry, to be able to visit their mother in privacy. “I think it’s very important for them to be there with her,” Charles once told PEOPLE. “It is, luckily, very tranquil here and they can come and go as they wish whenever they want. And that’s very lovely for me to know that."
Charles also wrote about his decision in his 1998 book,Althorp: The Story of an English House. “We all agreed that, with its beauty and tranquility, this was the place for Diana to be," he shared.
She is buried on an island
David Jones - PA Images/PA Images/Getty
Diana’s grave is located on a small island in the middle of the property’s ornamental Oval Lake. Though a temporary walkway was constructed forher 1997 funeral, according toThe Independent, it was later removed, deterring unwanted guests from visiting the site.
As Charles wrote in his book, its remoteness is entirely intentional, with the lake “[acting] as a buffer against the interventions of the insane and ghoulish, the thick mud presenting a further line of defense.”
Oval Lake was originally built for ice skating
The Round Oval Lake at Althorp House.Charles Spencer Instagram
Charles Spencer Instagram
“It was put in because my family had a thing for ice skating,” he wrote onInstagramin October 2022.
36 oak trees were planted near the lake in honor of Princess Diana
The Sunreported in August 2023 that the path to Oval Lake is lined with 36 oak trees — one for each year of Princess Diana’s life.
Princess Diana’s gravesite isn’t open to the public
Princess Diana Archive/Getty
While Princess Diana’s burial site is not open to the public, those seeking to honor the late princess can still pay tribute to her memory at a separate memorial built on the grounds of Althorp in July 1998, according to theWashington Post.
The other has a quote taken fromCharles' eulogy, which he delivered during her funeral at Westminster Abbey: “We give thanks for the life of a woman I am so proud to be able to call my sister, the unique, the complex, the extraordinary & irreplaceable Diana, whose beauty both internal & external will never extinguish from our minds.”
Charles also opened a museum dedicated to Diana’s memory at Althorp for a time, which allowed paying visitors to see artifacts that belonged to the royal, including her dresses, tiaras and jewelry, as well as more sentimental artifacts, such as pictures, letters and home movies. Per theWashington Post, the earl vowed to donate a “substantial portion” of the museum’s earnings to his sister’s memorial charity.
Though the museum closed in 2014, the public can still visit Diana’s memorial andAlthorp Estateduring the summer months.
Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Princess Diana’s grave before their 2011 wedding
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge walk hand in hand from Buckingham Palace the day after their wedding on April 30, 2011 in London, England.John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty
John Stillwell - WPA Pool/Getty
According to the publication, the couple held hands while walking the grounds. After taking a boat to Diana’s gravesite, Kate and William laid flowers in her honor.
Prince Harry brought Meghan Markle to Princess Diana’s gravesite on the anniversary of her death
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meet and greet the public at the Sydney Opera House on October 16, 2018 in Sydney, Australia.Paul Edwards - Pool/Getty
Paul Edwards - Pool/Getty
On the25th anniversary of Diana’s deathin 2022, Prince Harry brought his wife,Meghan Markle, to Oval Lake for the first time. Prince Harry recalled making the trip in his2023 memoir,Spare, writing, “I helped Meg into the boat. It wobbled, but I quick-stepped to the middle, got it righted in time.”
He continued: “As she found a seat in the stern, I took up the oars. They didn’t work. We’re stuck. The thick mud of the shallows had us in its grip. Uncle Charles came down to the water’s edge, gave us a little shove.”
Though Harry said the visit was admittedly not “easy,” he expressed his desire to share his mother’s final resting place with Meghan, writing, “At long last, I was bringing the girl of my dreams home to meet mum.”
According to Harry, Meghan took a few moments alone with her late mother-in-law during the trip, asking for “clarity and guidance” — two things he had asked for moments earlier. “When I came back, Meg was kneeling, eyes shut, palms against the stone,” he wrote.
Oval Lake underwent an extensive renovation in 2017
Aerial view of Althorp House in Northamptonshire, England.David Goddard/Getty
In 2017, Diana’s gravesite underwent a massive makeover considered the “first major revamp of the gardens in 350 years,” according to a statement on the Althorp website, perExpress.
The announcement continued: “The Oval Lake where Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest on September 6, 1997, is undergoing an extensive redesign to honor her memory. It will be completed in time for the 20th anniversary of her death, in August 2017.”
Rhododendrons and forget-me-nots — Diana’s favorite flower — were also re-planted at the site. “I still remember giving her some when we were children,” Charles told PEOPLE of the flower. “When I was 6, I gave her a white pot of blue forget-me-nots.”
source: people.com
