Last Hours, Death, Transfer from France, Funeral and Interment

[Dman]

I think Charles Spencer is indeed planning on opening the area for tourist to visit the site of her interment on the 20th anniversary.

The renovations are set to be complete in August of 2017, just in time for the 20th anniversary said the press release.

Queen Camilla, no on is allowed on the actual island. The Spencer's and Windsor's will not allow her final resting place be a tourist attraction. He might plan something at Althorp, but her burial place is only a place where her family is allowed to visit.

 

[Curryong]

It would certainly be dreadful to allow tourists, (even respectful ones, which I'm sure most would be,) to go traipsing about on the island, some leaving flowers which would inevitably rot and have to be removed. Much better to just do some tidying up, removal of mess etc., and make sure the island and memorial is maintained in the future.

 

[Queen Claude]

I don't think that tourists are going to be allowed on the island, but the gravestone/marker is visible from the bank and it was reported that it's not being kept up. I am assuming that Diana's brother Charles is going to have the island spruced up because it is visible to tourists but tourists will not be allowed on the island. Presumably the other Diana memorials at Althorp, like the temple, are also going to get spruced up in anticipation of increased tourism and media coverage as the 20th anniversary of Diana's death approaches.

 

[Queen Camilla]

Queen Camilla, no on is allowed on the actual island. The Spencer's and Windsor's will not allow her final resting place be a tourist attraction. He might plan something at Althorp, but her burial place is only a place where her family is allowed to visit.

No one is currently allowed.

The Windsor's have no say in how Charles Spencer uses his property.

It is his property. He can do with it as he wishes.

 

[Dman]

No one is currently allowed.

The Windsor's have no say in how Charles Spencer uses his property.

It is his property. He can do with it as he wishes.

It may be his property, but her children and rest of the family would disapprove of such a thing. The man will turn her actual resting place into a tourist attraction. He has made a vow that no one can get to her there. Now, it seems some renovations have to be done, but rest assured, her grave will not be disturbed.

 

[Jacknch]

Please note that several posts calling for an appreciation thread for Diana have been deleted as they are off-topic. Please remember that The Royal Forums is a discussion forum not a fan/hate site. Provided that members adhere to the rules, it would be unreasonable and unacceptable to expect people with opposing points of view not to post their thoughts in a specially dedicated thread.

Posts discussing memories of Diana have been moved to the following thread:

http://www.theroyalforums.com/forums/f38/memories-of-diana-13697-7.html#post1883188

 

[AdmirerUS]

We were driving about farmland yesterday and came across several fields that had heaps of trees and other vegetation uprooted and piled for drying. My companion asked why the farmers had done that. I explained that trees and weeds grow along the fence rows of fields. Eventually they get big enough that they shade or steal water from the crops, not to mention the damage they do to fences, so farmers periodically to a fence row cleaning and repair.
So it must be after 20 years of trees growing on the island. They look positively shaggy and overgrown. People have been making comment about the island's condition for years. Time to tidy.
House Beautiful describes it nicely and gives some context about complaints: Princess Diana Grave - Althorp Estate Renovation

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

Tourists will not be allowed to the little island for the simple reason of logistical possibilities. A couple of boats are needed, these need to fulfill to regulations on safety and accountability and there needs to be wardens near the monument to prevent it becoming a second Jim Morrisson/Dalida/Edith Piaf/Elvis-like touristic attraction.

 

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

I would expect that most of the restoration will be to address the critiques of the state of repair that the island needs re: overgrowth of vegetation, etc. Although, I suppose there could be a limited, VIP type of tour of the island planned if money is the objective, but I hope that is not something that happens.

As much as im sure we would love to visit it to pay loving respects, theres just too many people that would want to, so hopefully it will be a place where only her close family will go for private memorials of their choosing.

 

[LauraS3514]

I don't think that tourists are going to be allowed on the island, but the gravestone/marker is visible from the bank and it was reported that it's not being kept up. I am assuming that Diana's brother Charles is going to have the island spruced up because it is visible to tourists but tourists will not be allowed on the island. Presumably the other Diana memorials at Althorp, like the temple, are also going to get spruced up in anticipation of increased tourism and media coverage as the 20th anniversary of Diana's death approaches.

I have seen it written in many places, and Earl Spencer himself has said in interviews, that the marker on the island does NOT mark her grave. The grave itself is unmarked in any way.

 

[Queen Camilla]

Tourists will not be allowed to the little island for the simple reason of logistical possibilities. A couple of boats are needed, these need to fulfill to regulations on safety and accountability and there needs to be wardens near the monument to prevent it becoming a second Jim Morrisson/Dalida/Edith Piaf/Elvis-like touristic attraction.

According to reports, the islands is being reconfigured not just being spruced up.
The press release states 'extensive redesign' of the island.

 

[carlota]

Tourists will not be allowed to the little island for the simple reason of logistical possibilities. A couple of boats are needed, these need to fulfill to regulations on safety and accountability and there needs to be wardens near the monument to prevent it becoming a second Jim Morrisson/Dalida/Edith Piaf/Elvis-like touristic attraction.

maybe they are planning to install some sort of bridge towards the island? i guess this would make it easier as well for the family to visit the grave.

 

[Queen Camilla]

maybe they are planning to install some sort of bridge towards the island? i guess this would make it easier as well for the family to visit the grave.

I suspect it is for tourist.
JMO, but I suspect it will be along the lines of £20 a visitors will get to visit the general area. If they pay an extra £10 they will get to visit the actual island.

They may build a bridge or create a pathway from the walkway to the island.

 

[AdmirerUS]

You all do understand that a huge part of the allure of the island is that it is untouchable? Dream about it if you must, but Earl Spencer is fully aware of how how to keep the cash cow on her feed. And it need not include common boots tramping on that island. I think the revenue is better if they don't. JMO.
And frankly, I have always thought the boys would be on him legally and socially if The Earl tried to let people walk on that island. It won't happen as long as William and Harry draw breath. JMO

 

[Duch_Luver_4ever]

maybe they are planning to install some sort of bridge towards the island? i guess this would make it easier as well for the family to visit the grave.

I've seen pictures of a bridge type setup they have, for example when Nelson Mandela visited to plant a tree, but it looks like its not a permanent structure, probably to keep people off it. If they are planning to have tourists on the island, id imagine for health and safety purposes, theyd have to have a permanent structure.

As for the island marker not being her grave, id imagine the people who can say for sure where the exact burial site is arent talking, theres been talk that after the funeral she was interred next to her father in the village church, but is unmarked to keep crowds away. At the end of the day, it really doesnt matter for most of us, as long as her family can visit her in peace is the main thing. I'm sure keeping her in our heart and thoughts is enough wherever she is, she must know now how much she is loved by us all.

 

[Queen Camilla]

You all do understand that a huge part of the allure of the island is that it is untouchable? Dream about it if you must, but Earl Spencer is fully aware of how how to keep the cash cow on her feed. And it need not include common boots tramping on that island. I think the revenue is better if they don't. JMO.
And frankly, I have always thought the boys would be on him legally and socially if The Earl tried to let people walk on that island. It won't happen as long as William and Harry draw breath. JMO

Or a bridge that crosses over it so they are only walking over it and not on it.

 

[Mermaid1962]

If Diana had received the HRH posthumously, perhaps she could have been buried in a royal cemetery (Frogmore?) and therefore been in the same cemetery as her sons will be someday. That might have been the thinking.

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

There are also non-HRH's buried at Frogmore, like Wallis, Duchess of Windsor. Like Lady May Abel-Smith. Like Dorothy, Marchioness of Cambridge. Like Angus Ogilvy. Like Alexander Ramsay. And others. An HRH is just a form of address. Neither a title nor a specific form of address is required to be buried there, so to see. That means that for an example Mike Tindall or Timothy Lawrence can be buried there as well.

 

[Skippyboo]

I highly doubt that Charles Spencer would have allowed that. He wanted her buried at Althorpe instead of the church where the Spencers are buried to drive people to visit the house and the money he could charge for admission. If Diana's accident happened a couple of years later when William was of age, he might have buried her in a different location.


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[Denville]

I highly doubt that Charles Spencer would have allowed that. He wanted her buried at Althorpe instead of the church where the Spencers are buried to drive people to visit the house and the money he could charge for admission. If
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I'm not Spencers' biggest fan but I'm sure that wanting her buried on the island at Althorp was because he did NOT want tourists tramping around where she was buried..

 

[Duc_et_Pair]

I agree. That island was the best possible location. Diana, Princess of Wales could have been laid at rest at Frogmore, but she would only be joined by her younger son Harry as Charles, William and George are most likely to be interred in the Abbey.

 

[Iluvbertie]

He wanted her on the estate because he knew it would bring in many more people than if she was buried say at Windsor Castle as people could look at where she was buried - and they did - the stood at places from where they could see the island. Spencer made money from having Diana buried on the estate. He may have donated the extra money people paid to see the Diana exhibition to charity but the fact is that the attendance at his estate did increase his own income and he knew she would. That is why he wanted her there in death - after all he refused to let her live there when alive.

 

[Denville]

No, it is not true that he would not let her live there. He did offer a house to her and then changed his mind because it was felt not just by him but by the police that the house chosen wasn't abel to be secured very well. But he offered her other houses on the estate. Diana however got angry and refused to compromise. She wrote him an angry letter which he returned unread because he was trying NOT to get into a fight with her.
He wanted her buried on the estate because it was private. I did not like the Diana exhibition (and he didn't donate the money to charity) but he may well have felt that as the keeper of Diana's legacy while her sons were small, he wanted to keep her memory alive with the public. There was no chance that the RF would allow Diana to be buried anywhere Royal, and she was going to be buried in her family home; it was up to Charles Spencer to arrange where she would be buried and I think he made the right decision to choose the island where if the public wanted, they could see the location of her grave but they could not go to it and the boys could visit it in privacy.

 

[Skippyboo]

Diana's Styles and Titles

Earl Spencer could have buried her in St Mary's Church where 19 generations of Spencer's are buried including her father.

http://www.britainexpress.com/counties/northants/churches/great-brington.htm




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[Countessmeout]

Yes but the church is not private property. If he wanted his sister's grave not to become a tourist circus and be private. having her at the church would not stop that.

 

[Iluvbertie]

Earl Spencer could have buried her in St Mary's Church where 19 generations of Spencer's are buried including her father.

Great Brington, St Mary's Church | Historic Northamptonshire Guide




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And was her preferred option but Earl Spencer overruled her own wishes for his own gain.

 

[Curryong]

Whatever Earl Spencer's motives were for burying Diana on his estate, (and I'm sure profit was one of them) I remember reading at the time that villagers at Great Brington were worried that their village was going to be absolutely swamped with visitors to the point where it would be a great annoyance and interfere with daily life.

The vicar of St Mary's and church authorities were probably similarly anxious that the church should not be crowded with tourists every day, and there may even have been worries about the security of the Spencer family vaults. After all, a break-in to steal Diana's body or to take a look at it wouldn't have been out of the question, given the mood of the country. (Apparently there are persistent local rumours that Diana was secretly placed in the vaults later.)

 

[Skippyboo]

Diana's Styles and Titles

The church could limit the amount of people allowed at one time with timed entrances. Tourists in large numbers go to St George's chapel, Westminster Abbey and St Paul's and no one is stealing their bodies.

We are getting off topic however.

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[Denville]

and where would a small village church have the resources to do this?
Charles S made the right decision. I don't see that profit came into it. As the owner of the house where Diana grew up, he was guaranteed a fair number of visitors coming to see the place after her death..
Diana didn't envisage herself dying young and in particularly tragic circumstances, where loads of people would be very emotional about her death, Had she done so, I think she would have realised that her being buried in the church was not a practical option, both for the sake of the villagers and for privacy.

 

[Skippyboo]

The tourists would pay for entry. Westminster Abbey cost £20 for entry, St Paul's is £18


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