Princess Diana to be honoured with a blue plaque in London

The location, which will be officially revealed later in the year, is likely to be at the Princess’s former Earl’s Court flat

(Getty Images / Len Trievnor / Stringer)

Princess Diana will be honoured with a blue plaque celebrating her life and legacy.

The location of the plaque is yet to be officially announced, but it’s likely to be at her former London flat in Earl’s Court where she lived before she married the Prince of Wales in 1981.

The plaque will be installed later this year, to mark what would have been Princess Diana’s 60th birthday.

Princess Diana is the highest-profile former royal family member to be honoured with a Heritage England blue plaque. She was nominated by the London Assembly after its #BackThePlaque campaign which called on the public to suggest women who should be recognised.

Speaking about the public backing of a plaque for Princess Diana, English Heritage’s curatorial director Anna Eavis said: “Her profile and popularity remains undiminished nearly 25 years after she died and clearly a part of that was the ease with which she seemed to communicate with everybody.”

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Eavis said that Princess Diana’s appeal to the panel was that she was “undeniably a significant figure in late 20th century Britain, with a close London association”.

She added that the princess’s anti-landmine campaigning and the role she played in destigmatising HIV/Aids were important factors in the decision.

The princess’s former home is 60 Coleherne Court, a flat in a mansion block near King’s Road in Chelsea. It was reportedly bought by her parents for £50,000 when Diana was 18 years old.

In royal biographer Andrew Morton’s book Diana, In Her Own Words, Diana described her time living there as: “the happiest time of her life”.

“It was juvenile, innocent, uncomplicated and above all fun. I laughed my head off there,” she said.

The plaque in the princess’s honour is one of six that Heritage England has planned for London in 2021.

Other women being celebrated with a plaque include crystallographer and peace campaigner Dame Kathleen Lonsdale, fashion designer Jean Muir, anti-slavery campaigner and former slave Ellen Craft, barrister Helena Normanton and social reformer Caroline Norton.