Princess Diana's belongings and gifts for the Queen to go on show
Harry and William select objects for a Buckhingham Palace exhibition to reflect their personal memories of their mother.
Friday 28 July 2017 22:48, UK
Rarely seen personal effects belonging to Princess Diana are to go on display alongside more than 200 presents given to the Queen.
The Buckingham Palace exhibition remembers the many official duties Diana undertook in support of Her Majesty ahead of the 20th anniversary of the Princess' death next month.
A commemorative display includes the desk at which the Princess worked in her sitting room at Kensington Palace, writing letters and reading official briefings and correspondence.
Many of the objects shown on and around her desk have been selected by the Duke of Cambridge and Prince Harry to reflect their mother's commitment to duty and their personal memories of her.
They include photographs of friends and family, her ballet shoes, cassette tapes of her favourite artists and a wooden school tuck box bearing the name "D Spencer".
At the same time, the show, called Royal Gifts, tells the story of the Queen's reign using presents presented to her by world leaders visiting Britain or when the monarch herself has travelled abroad.
Highlights include the Union Flag badge worn in space by Major Tim Peake and a strip of the red, white and blue ribbon cut by Her Majesty and President Mitterand of France at the official opening of the Eurotunnel in May 1994.
The Queen's honorary BAFTA presented to her by Sir Kenneth Branagh is also on display.
Some of the slightly stranger gifts include a bag of salt from The Virgin Islands and a paperweight made from a fossilised dinosaur bone, presented to The Queen by the Canadian city of Drumheller in 1959.
The longest-reigning British monarch, the Queen is also the most travelled sovereign in British history, undertaking more than 250 overseas visits during her 65-year reign.
:: The Summer Opening of the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, including the special exhibition Royal Gifts and the tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, is from 22 July to 1 October 2017.