Princess Diana Will Be Honored With a Blue Plaque at Her London Apartment
An English Heritage blue plaque honoring Princess Diana will be installed at the London apartment where she lived before marrying Prince Charles.
- Princess Diana will be honored with a plaque at the London apartment where she lived with her friends before marrying Prince Charles.
- The plaque will be installed this year, what would have been her 60th birthday year.
- Diana will be honored alongside anti-slavery campaigner Ellen Craft, fashion designer Jean Muir, divorce law campaigner Caroline Norton, lawyer Helena Normanton, and crystallographer Kathleen Lonsdale.
Princess Diana will receive a blue plaque in her honor in 2021, the year she would have turned 60, the Guardian reports, as part of charity English Heritage's scheme to install plaques around the U.K. at locations associated with notable people. Diana will be honored alongside five other women: anti-slavery campaigner Ellen Craft, fashion designer Jean Muir, divorce law campaigner Caroline Norton, lawyer Helena Normanton, and crystallographer Kathleen Lonsdale.
Diana's brother, Charles, Earl Spencer, confirmed on Twitter that the plaque would be installed at her Coleherne Court apartment in Earl's Court, London, which she shared with three friends before marrying Prince Charles. The London apartment was gifted to her by her parents for her 18th birthday in 1979, according to the Guardian.
"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," Charles tweeted, alongside a photo of the plaque being made.
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. pic.twitter.com/FiDk3ZtLpGApril 1, 2021
Anna Eavis, the curatorial director of English Heritage, said in a statement, "We are expecting our plaque to Diana, Princess of Wales to be very popular. She was an inspiration and cultural icon to many, raising awareness of issues including landmines and homelessness, and helping to destigmatize illnesses such as HIV, leprosy and depression. It seems fitting that we should erect a plaque commemorating her work and influence in what would have been her 60th year."
Diana, Craft, Muir, Norton, Normanton, and Lonsdale will be honored as part of English Heritage's "plaques for women" campaign, which aims to redress the dramatic gender imbalance in existing plaques. Over 900 plaques are in place around the U.K., but only 14 percent honor women.
Ellen Craft and her husband, William Craft, were enslaved in Georgia before escaping first to Philadelphia in 1848, and then to the U.K. in 1850, lecturing widely against slavery. Their plaque will be placed at their Hammersmith, London house, the Guardian reports.
Fellow honoree Jean Muir was known as "the British Chanel," while Caroline Norton campaigned against unfair divorce laws in the 19th century. Crystallographer and pacifist Katherine Lonsdale was one of the first women, alongside Marjory Stephenson, to be elected a fellow of the Royal Society, while Helena Normanton was the first woman to practice as a barrister in England.
Stay In The Know
Get exclusive access to fashion and beauty trends, hot-off-the-press celebrity news, and more.
RELATED STORIES
Emily Dixon is a British journalist who’s contributed to CNN, Teen Vogue, Time, Glamour, The Guardian, Wonderland, The Big Roundtable, Bust, and more, on everything from mental health to fashion to political activism to feminist zine collectives. She’s also a committed Beyoncé, Kacey Musgraves, and Tracee Ellis Ross fan, an enthusiastic but terrible ballet dancer, and a proud Geordie lass.
-
I Need All of My Lip Products to Come With a Donut Applicator From Now On
I put four viral tinted serums to the test.
By Brooke Knappenberger Published
-
Princess Margaret's "Ill-Mannered" Comments to Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mother Often Had "Courtiers Shaking Their Heads"
The late royal was known for her one-liners.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
How Prince Archie Has Been Learning About His Grandma Princess Diana's Charity Work
Prince Harry shared that his 5-year-old son has become curious about one particular topic.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Princess Diana Once Wore an Unbelievable "Disguise" for a Secret Night Out With an A-List Singer
"We were nudging each other like naughty schoolchildren."
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Princess Charlotte Shows a Striking Similarity to Grandma Princess Diana in Viral TikTok
"Charlotte is the exact copy of her."
By Kristin Contino Published
-
10 Investment Handbags That Come With the Royal Family's Stamp of Approval
Your cheat sheet to regal bags.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Princess Kate Is Being Compared to Princess Diana for This "Priceless" Quality During Children's Hospice Visit
The Princess of Wales is following in her late mother-in-law's footsteps.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
25 Under-$250 Beauty Products the Royal Family Swears By
Skip the tiara, steal the skincare routine.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Prince Harry and Prince William Won't Inherit Late Mom Princess Diana's Childhood Home–Here's Who Will
Althorp House won't be handed down to Diana's two sons.
By Amy Mackelden Published
-
Princess Diana Had a "Secret" Trick to "Avoid Wearing Tights" Around the Royals
Rules be damned.
By Kristin Contino Published
-
Prince Harry Secures "Unequivocal Apology" for Princess Diana and 8-Figure Damages in Tabloid Court Case
"She would be incredibly touched...and rightly proud," Diana's brother said of Harry's win.
By Amy Mackelden Published