Princess Diana

Here lies the story of a woman who walked through these very gates and changed the world's understanding of royalty. The grand State Apartments of Kensington Palace, tucked within its sprawling gardens in West London, served as home to Princess Diana for over 15 years. Diana Frances Spencer was born into British aristocracy on 1 July 1961 near Sandringham, Norfolk. Before becoming a princess, she worked as a kindergarten teacher, earning just £5 an hour playing with children and tidying up. She became the first royal bride in history to have held a paying job.

At age 20, she married Prince Charles on 29 July 1981 at St Paul's Cathedral in a ceremony watched by 750 million people worldwide. Her wedding dress featured over 10,000 pearls and a 25 foot train. Diana gave birth to Prince William in 1982 and Prince Harry in 1984, breaking royal tradition by delivering both sons in a hospital rather than at home. Within these palace walls, Diana decorated her apartments with bold floral wallpapers, pink velvet sofas, and family photographs. She created a children's paradise where her sons could escape constant media scrutiny.

Diana revolutionised royal charity work by personally visiting AIDS patients when fear and stigma surrounded the disease. In January 1997, she walked through active minefields in Angola wearing protective gear, bringing global attention to landmine dangers. After her divorce in 1996, she remained at Kensington Palace until her death in a Paris car crash on 31 August 1997. Over one million bouquets covered these palace gates, reaching 5 feet deep. The Sunken Garden now holds her memorial statue.