Princess Diana’s London Apartment Will Soon Be Recognized as a Historical Site
Princess Diana would have been 60 years old this July and the city of London has found a very special way to celebrate the occasion as well as honor her lasting legacy. English Heritage, a charity dedicated to caring for historical buildings and sites in the United Kingdom, announced in a press release that Diana's former apartment on Coleherne Court would soon receive its very own blue plaque from the organization. These plaques are intended to "link the people of the past with the buildings of the present" as well as note historical significance. Presently, there are over 950 blue plaques in London commemorating notable historical figures.
Diana lived in this flat with girlfriends from 1979 to 1981 (the year she married Prince Charles). According to the Evening Standard, she allegedly had a sign above her bedroom door that read "Chief Chick."
In response to the exciting news, her brother Charles Spencer took to Instagram to share a few behind-the-scenes photos from the making of the plaque. In the caption, he doled out praise to English Heritage for honoring his late sister and made note of how special this apartment and time of her life was for her. "Diana was so happy with her wonderful flatmates in her late teens," he wrote. He also shared a photo of a template revealing the plaque's final copy. It reads: "Lady Diana Spencer later Princess of Wales 1961-1997 lived here 1979-1981."
English Heritage noted that Lady Diana was a perfect candidate for a plaque as "she devoted much of her life to charity work, raising the issue of landmines and destigmatizing conditions including HIV and leprosy."
Besides the Princess of Wales, the press release noted that five other women will also be receiving their own plaques this year. They include social reformer Caroline Norton, designer Jean Muir, former slave and campaigner Ellen Craft, barrister Helena Normanton, and scientist Kathleen Lonsdale. Currently, only 14 percent of London’s blue plaques celebrate women.
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