Princess Diana’s Time Capsule Dug up Early After 34 Years and For a Cause That Would Make Her Proud
Princess Diana left a lasting legacy of compassion and humanitarian work, showing that royalty can be defined by service as much as by privilege. Throughout her life, she was a patron of many charitable organizations, each close to her heart. Among them was Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital, where she served for nearly a decade and planted a poignant time capsule with the hospital’s children in 1991. Intended to remain undisturbed for centuries, it was recently unearthed after more than 30 years to make way for a new children’s cancer hospital.
The late Princess served as patron of the hospital from 1989 until her tragic passing in 1997. As reported by the Daily Beast, the lead-encased wooden box was planted by Diana to mark the laying of the hospital’s foundation stone. Inside the capsule were eight items, each chosen by two children who won a contest on the Blue Peter kids’ TV show. Meant to capture life in the nineties, the capsule included a Kylie Minogue CD (1990 album Rhythm of Love, her first not to reach No. 1 in the UK), a pocket TV, a solar-powered calculator, and a picture of Diana. Other items included a snowflake hologram, a passport, a sheet of recycled paper, and a selection of British coins.
Another notable artifact in the capsule was a clipping from The Times, featuring the headline 'U.S. rejects Iraqi warplanes plea as rebels close in' alongside a photograph of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. The late Princess worked closely with the children to choose the items before burying the box at the hospital site. Aside from meagre cosmetic damage, archivists confirmed that nearly all the items in the time capsule were still usable.
For the unveiling of the time capsule, hospital staff who were either born in 1991 or had been working there during the burial were invited to witness the excavation. Clinical fellow Rochana Redkar gushed, "I was so excited to be involved in the removal of the time capsule, which was buried the year I was born." Staff member Janet Holmes, who worked in the hospital in 1991, shared her feelings of nostalgia, saying, "It brought back so many memories seeing the pocket TV in there. I had bought one for my husband back in the day, for when he had a break whilst driving his coach around the country. They were very expensive then!"
At the Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, Diana dedicated herself to improving the lives of sick children, often visiting wards, meeting patients, and offering comfort to families. Her dedication to GOSH extended beyond ceremonial duties, as she also played an integral role in the hospital's fundraising initiatives. According to ABC News, Diana was a driving force behind the Wishing Well Appeal, which raised $72.9M, equivalent to approximately $270M today, making it the largest UK charity appeal at the time.