Diana, Princess of Wales was recognised and loved throughout the world. Her death in 1997 sent millions of people into mourning and her legacy lives on to this very day, with many London visitors hoping to walk in the footsteps of the People’s Princess.
What follows is our guide to the places Princess Diana lived and visited, as well as the statues and monuments that have been built to commemorate her throughout the city.
- Places Where Princess Diana Lived
- Princess Diana Memorials and Statues
- Where Princess Diana Shopped and Ate
- Places Associated with Princess Diana
- Princess Diana Tours
Places Where Princess Diana Lived
Flat 60, Colherne Court, SW5 0EF
As an 18th birthday gift, Diana’s mother bought her a flat here at Coleherne Court in Earl’s Court. She lived here, along with three flatmates, for just under two years, moving out in February of 1981. Today there is a blue plaque that commemorates the building’s most famous resident.
Kensington Palace
After Diana’s marriage to the then Prince of Wales, King Charles III, in July of 1981, the couple moved into apartments at Kensington Palace. The double apartment on the north side of the palace would remain her home for the rest of her life. After the couple’s divorce, her private offices were moved to the Palace.
Kensington Palace became the focal point for public morning after her tragic death when millions of flowers and tributes were left outside the building’s gates by visitors from all across the world.
St. James's Palace
After Diana’s divorce from the then Prince of Wales, she was allowed not only to retain her apartment at Kensington Palace but she was also given permission to use the state apartments at St. James’s Palace. On a much more sombre occasion, the late Princess lay in state here for 5 days after her death, before it was taken to Kensington Palace to begin her state funeral.
The chapel at St. James’s Palace would later be the location of the baptism of two of Diana’s grandchildren: Prince George of Wales and Prince Louis of Wales.
Princess Diana Memorials and Statues
Princess Diana Memorial Fountain
In 2004 a memorial fountain, honouring the life of Diana, was unveiled in Hyde Park in London.
The memorial fountain was designed by an American landscape artist, Kathryn Gustafson.
The artist wanted the fountain to be easily accessible to the public to reflect Diana’s “inclusive” personality and to reflect the fact that she was seen as an ‘accessible’ figure to the public.
The fountain cost £3.6million to construct and was pieced together using 545 separate pieces of granite from Cornwall. Although it is referred to as a fountain, it is actually more of an oval-shaped stream. The fountain is circular and runs around a patch of grass around 50m by 80m (165ft by 260ft).
The fountain is not smooth and consists of numerous cuts, elevated steps of different sizes, false ‘rocks’ and smooth pieces, but the bottom part of the fountain is a tranquil pool. All of the different effects and textures built into the stream are said to represent the parts of Diana’s life: the turmoil, and the happy times.
In addition to the above, many believe the circular formation represents the circle of life, a Mobius strip, life vs. death, or even a meaningless endeavour. The circular formation was also intended to be a path for the public to walk through to aid in contemplation and relaxation.
Kensington Palace Sunken Gardens
London’s official tribute statue to the late Princess of Wales can be found in the Sunken Garden at Kensington Palace, which was unveiled by her sons on what would have been her 60th birthday in 2021.
Commissioned by Princes Willian and Harry, the statue was designed by sculptor Ian Rank-Broadley and depicts the Princess among children, highlighting her special bond with the young people she worked with throughout her charity endeavours. The gardens surrounding the statue were completely replanted in 2019 with over 4,000 new flowers introduced including forget-me-nots (Diana’s favourite flower) and white tulips, lavender, dahlias and sweepeas.
The statue received mixed reviews from critics but has been a popular visitor attraction with the general public.
Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk
Those wanting to walk in the footsteps of Princess Diana should consider following along on the Diana Princess of Wales Memorial Walk, which was opened on the 30th of June 2000, the day before what would have been Diana’s 39th birthday. This seven-mile-long walk takes you through the city and past “famous buildings and locations associated with the Princess during her life.” The walk is marked by 90 plaques set into the ground which were designed by sculptor Alec Peever.
Cafe' Diana - 5 Wellington Terrace, W2 4LW
Cafe’ Diana, located in Notting Hill, “pays homage to a life in the public eye that ended far too soon.” Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the cafe is decorated with photographs of the late Princess. There is even a photograph of the Princess visiting the cafe, from 1989. She was also a repeat customer, said to enjoy their fry ups, and brought her sons for breakfast as the cafe is in walking distance from Kensington Palace.
Places Where Diana Shopped and Dined
Lock & Co. - 6 St. James's Street, SW1A 1EF
A favourite with almost all member of the Royal Family, Lock & Co has been providing headwear for London’s rich and famous since the 17th century! Lord Nelson, Winston Churchill, Charlie Chaplin, and Oscar Wilde were all customers here - as was Princess Diana. Many of Diana’s hats were custom designed for her here at this shop, and today the company holds a royal warrant as they still create hats for the royal family’s favourites engagements throughout the year.
Launceston Place - 1A Launceston Place, W8 5RL
Said to be Princess Diana’s favourite restaurant, Launceston Place has been a local favourite for years. Known for classic British cooking, the restaurant hosted the Princess countless times throughout the years, even going so far as naming a dish after her: the Souffle’ Diana (which is sadly no longer on the menu!).
Bombay Brasserie - Courtfield Road, SW7 4QH
Another locale within walking distance of Kensington Palace is Bombay Brasserie, a fine dining Indian restaurant that has been dishing up delicious cuisine for almost 40 years. Not only did Princess Diana enjoy dining here, she would routinely visit with her friends Cleo Rocos, Kenny Everett and Freddie Mercury. The group of four would reportedly often come specifically to drink peach Bellinis.
Places Associated with Princess Diana
St. Paul's Cathedral
It was at St. Paul’s Cathedral, on Wednesday 29th July 1981 that Princess Diana and the now King, Charles III, were wed, in a ceremony that was broadcast to an estimate 750million people throughout the world. A traditional Church of England wedding, it was led by the Dean of St. Paul’s and the archbishop of Canterbury in front of numerous heads of state, members of other royal families, and governmental ministers.
The couple chose St. Paul’s Cathedral over Westminster Abbey as it was larger, and also allowed a longer procession through London.
Diana’s wedding dress became an immediate trend setter and the image of her walking down the aisle, followed by the 25 foot (7.6m) train on her wedding dress became an instantly iconic image.
Buckingham Palace
After the “wedding of the century,” as it was billed, the newly married Charles and Diana rode in an open landau (bearing a “just married” sign that had been affixed to the back by Princes Andrew and Edward) to Buckingham Palace for their wedding reception. At 13:10BST the couple stepped out onto the balcony to wave to the thousands of fans that had crowded the streets around the Palace, hoping to glimpse the Prince and Princess. The couple kissed, to the delight of the crowds, starting a tradition that has carried through to other Royal weddings.
Westminster Abbey
Diana attended numerous services at Westminster Abbey throughout her time as the Princess of Wales, but it was perhaps her final association with the church that became her most enduring as the Abbey was the location of the funeral of Princess Diana. On the 6th of September 1997, Diana’s coffin was transported on an escorted gun carriage from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey. 2,000 people attended the ceremony and it is estimated that over 2 billion people watched the service on TV, marking one of the biggest televised events in history.
The princess was buried at Althorp, the Spencer estate where the princess grew up, on a private island in the middle of an ornamental lake, kept away from the public.
Princess Diana Tours
Free Tours by Foot offer private tours that can take place on any date and time of your choosing, depending on guide availability. We are able to offer a Princess Diana Tour that will include Kensington Palace, the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain, Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace, the Princess of Wales Memorial Walk, the Mall and Westminster Abbey. If you would like to book just contact our London Manager: Margaret@FreeToursbyFoot.Com
Alternatively, our public Westminster Tour covers many of these areas, as does our Royal Kensington Tour.
