Items from a time capsule buried by Princess Diana 34 years ago have been discovered.
On August 31, it marked 28 years since Princess Diana’s passing, a day that left the world in grief. She tragically died at 36 in a car crash in Paris while escaping paparazzi in 1997.
In March 1991, six years before her untimely death, Diana placed a time capsule in the walls of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, where she served as president.
After 34 years, the lead-covered wooden box, intended to be excavated hundreds of years later, has been uncovered as the hospital undergoes renovations for a new Children’s Cancer Centre.
The aim was to encapsulate life in the 1990s.
Two children, aged 11 and nine at the time, won a competition on the British TV show Blue Peter and selected 10 items for the capsule.
They included a CD of Kylie Minogue’s Rhythm of Love album, a pocket television, five tree seeds, a snowflake hologram, a photo of Diana, a solar-powered calculator, a sheet of recycled paper, a European passport, a copy of The Times newspaper from the day of burial, and British coins.
According to The Times, despite some water damage, most items remained intact.
David Watson, who was 11 when he helped choose the items, now works at the University of Exeter and explained the choice of a Kylie Minogue CD for the capsule.
“I chose the CD because technology was advancing so quickly at the time, mobile phones didn’t even exist,” he shared with the BBC.
He noted that the items chosen reflected technological advancements and important issues of the time.
The recycled paper was included as the world was beginning to address environmental concerns and global warming.
“Lastly, the passport was actually the first ever European Passport created, and I chose this because of the way the UK was starting to work more with Europe as a single continent for the good of each other,” he added.
Watson also fondly remembered meeting Diana, stating, “She was extremely nice, and what I do remember of the day was that she was so down to earth, knew my name, put her arm around me, and spoke to me as if it was an exciting day for both of us and we were on the same level.”
He added that she made him feel at ease, asking questions like “what do we do next, where do you think we should stand?” even though she likely knew the answers, creating a comfortable atmosphere.