A new exhibit of 15 iconic images of Diana, Princess of Wales, is currently being displayed at her childhood home of Althorp.
The Diana, Princess of Wales, exhibition will display the images this summer. It will the first time in over 12 years that the entire collection will be on display to the public.
The images were the last official portraits taken of Diana, before her death in August 1997. The photographs, taken by Mario Testino, originally intended for Vanity Fair, are now some of the most iconic images of the Princess.
Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer said, “I have always felt that Mario Testino captured the essence of Diana, quite brilliantly. These wonderful images made a huge impact on me when I saw them first, and revisiting them now, twenty years later, seems a fitting tribute to my beautiful, fabulous, sister.”
Diana’s childhood home, Althorp, now has an exhibition of images of the Princess by Mario Testino (JMarler)
The images were previously displayed at Diana’s former home, Kensington Palace, in 2005. The original photographs make up part of the permanent exhibition at MATE – Museo Mario Testino in Lima, Peru. An entire room is dedicated to a select few images from the collection.
“It’s a real privilege to have been given the opportunity to photograph someone like Princess Diana, and to have the images become symbolic of her kindness and beauty. I’m very happy to see them at Earl Spencer’s home, which brings her back to her family estate.” Mario Testino
Althorp has not only been the family home of the Spencers since 1508, it is also the location of the Princess’ grave; a crypt lies on an island in a small lake on the estate. The stately home attracts tens of thousands of visitors each year, wishing to pay their respects to the late Royal. Althorp has ninety rooms and is over 500 years old.
The Althorp estate spans over 13,000 acres of countryside, located in three English counties – Northamptonshire, Warwickshire and Norfolk. In 2011, a Conservation projected was completed, securing the building for ‘generations to come’. Over 40,000 man hours were required to complete the project. One of the main tasks, was replacing the 2,382 sqm roof with 120 tonnes of lead, rendering it watertight for decades to come.
The new exhibition will be included in the regular admission price, and will run from the 1st May 2017 until the 8th October 2017.
In addition to the Diana exhibition, the estate will also run a ‘Walking in her Shoes’ exhibition, which is designed to showcase twenty inspirational young people who hold The Diana Award. The charity was set up in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales’s belief that young people have the power to change the world for the better. The charity encourages engagement with young people from all backgrounds, in order to encourage young people to develop, by giving them a platform. The exhibition opens on 14th May 2017.
