Blue plaques are awarded by the English Heritage Trust to commemorate the homes and workplaces of historically significant people. Charles Spencer posted a picture of Diana’s plaque on his Twitter account, saying, “How very lovely that this blue plaque will be going up outside Coleherne Court—thank you, @EnglishHeritage, for commemorating such a very happy place for Diana in this way.” The flat at Coleherne Court was given to the then-Diana Spencer by her parents as an 18th birthday present, and she shared the apartment with three flatmates between 1979 and 1981 while working as a kindergarten assistant. Once the news broke that the 19-year-old was engaged to Prince Charles, the paparazzi became a constant presence on the street outside her apartment. Diana is one of six women whose lives will be honored by a blue plaque in 2021 as part of a ‘plaques for women’ campaign which aims to address a gender imbalance with regard to which historical figures are commemorated with a plaque. The organization’s historical director Anna Eavis said, “Diana is undeniably a really significant figure of the late 20th century. She made a huge impact and was very popular. It seems fitting that we should erect a plaque commemorating her work and influence in what would have been her 60th year.” In a statement, she added, “She was an inspiration and cultural icon to many, raising awareness of issues including landmines and homelessness, and helping to destigmatise illnesses such as HIV, leprosy and depression.” Separately, a statue honoring the late princess will be unveiled at Kensington Palace later this year on July 1—which would have been her 60th birthday—with her sonsPrince William and Prince Harry reportedly preparing to set aside their differences, at least temporarily, to reunite for the event. The statue will be installed at the palace’s Sunken Garden, which was one of Diana’s favorite places. In 2017, the garden was replanted in tribute to the princess and visited by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridgeand Prince Harry on the eve of the anniversary of her death. As a heavy August rain fell, the trio sheltered below umbrellas so that they could be shown around the new ‘White Garden’ for the first time. Based on Diana’s life and style, the garden was planted entirely with white flowers including white lilies because Diana loved to decorate her apartment at Kensington Palace with them; forget-me-nots to represent the bittersweet pain of her passing; and white roses because “I think lots of people would refer to Princess Diana as the classic English rose,” according to head gardener Sean Harkin. Only three months later, the garden is where Prince Harry and his new fiancée Meghan Markle posed for their engagement photocall—with Meghan wearing, appropriately, a white coat. Next up, can you visit Princess Diana’s grave—and what dress was she buried in?
