It’s hard to believe that 18 years ago today, Princess Diana died at the age of 36 in a vehicle crash in a Paris tunnel.
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After thorough investigation, it was determined that the driver was not only trying to escape paparazzi, he was also heavily intoxicated and driving at speeds over 80 miles per hour through a narrow tunnel.
Eighteen years later, the Express reports that the burial-place of Diana Princess of Wales, on her family estate at Althorp in Northamptonshire, has slipped into disrepair.
It would be hard to find someone who was alive at the time who doesn’t remember where they were on hearing the news that Diana was dead, and the subsequent outpouring of grief has been seen by many as a turning point in British society: a nation that was previously famed for its “stiff upper lip” gave way to sentimentality and public displays of grief.
Singer Elton John performed a very emotional version of his song, “Candle in the Wind” at the funeral. Princess Diana and Fayed were not wearing their seat belts. Buried on a small island in the middle of a lake on the estate, the monument marking her grave is nearly invisible among overgrown trees and bushes.
A spokesman said the natural growth of greenery “intentionally lends privacy to the Princess’s final resting place”.
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Last year, Darren McGrady, a former chef for the Princess Tweeted to say he felt that the grave site was “neglected”. The 41 year-old ex-Welsh Guard, Phil Barlett, was “medically discharged” after receiving his injury.
