Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain facts for kids
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain is a special memorial in London, England. It honors Diana, Princess of Wales, who passed away in 1997. The fountain was created to show Diana's kind spirit and her love for children.
You can find the fountain in the southwest part of Hyde Park, near the Serpentine lake. Building started in September 2003. Queen Elizabeth II officially opened it on July 6, 2004. Many members of the Royal Family were there, including Diana's sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.
Designing the Memorial Fountain
Work on this project began in 2001. The fountain was designed by a team called Gustafson Porter. It cost about £3.6 million to build. Kathryn Gustafson, a landscape artist from America, wanted the fountain to be easy for everyone to visit. She also wanted it to show Diana's "inclusive" personality. Gustafson hoped the fountain would be a fitting tribute to Diana.
How the Fountain Was Built
The fountain is made from 545 pieces of Cornish granite. These pieces were cut very carefully using special computer-guided machines. This work was done by S. McConnell & Sons in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland. The granite pieces were then shipped from Northern Ireland to England.
The fountain looks like a large, oval stream bed. It is about 50 meters (165 feet) long and 80 meters (260 feet) wide. This stream bed surrounds a green, grassy area. The granite stream is shallow, about 3 to 6 meters (10 to 20 feet) wide. Water is pumped to the top of the oval and flows down both sides.
One side of the stream flows smoothly with gentle ripples. The other side has steps, curves, and different shapes. This makes the water play in interesting ways as it flows. The two sides were designed to represent different parts of Diana's life. One side shows happy times, and the other shows challenges.
Keeping the Fountain Safe and Open
Diana was known for being a princess who was easy to approach. So, the fountain was designed for people to walk in the water. They could wade and think quietly.
However, soon after it opened, a few minor accidents occurred. Some people slipped in the water. Because of this, the fountain was closed for a short time. It reopened in August 2004. At first, there was a new fence, and wardens stopped people from running in the water. But now, visitors are allowed to enter the water again.
Even though the fountain was only open for part of 2004, the grass nearby got damaged. To fix this, in December 2004, new work began. This included improving the drainage system. New hard surfaces were added in busy areas. Special tough rye grass was also planted to help the ground stay firm.
