Princess Diana’s Time Capsule Dug Up Early for Construction Project
The capsule was removed to make room for a new children’s cancer hospital.
Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images
A time capsule planted by Princess Diana in the early 1990s has been dug up prematurely, revealing a treasure trove of dreams, tunes, and tech.
The lead-encased wooden box was sealed in 1991 to commemorate the laying of the foundation stone of Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, of which Diana served as president from 1989 until she died in 1997.
Each of the eight items contained within, selected by two children who won a contest on the Blue Peter kids’ TV show, was meant to represent life in the nineties, and included a Kylie Minogue CD, a pocket TV, a solar-powered calculator, and a picture of Diana.
Princess Diana personally buried the time capsule at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital in 1991.
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Other items included a snowflake hologram, a passport, a sheet of recycled paper, and a selection of British coins. A copy of The Times newspaper from the day of the burial was also included, which bore the headline “U.S. rejects Iraqi warplanes plea as rebels close in” alongside a picture of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.
Diana worked with the children to help select the items, and later buried the box herself at the hospital site. It was initially intended to remain untouched for “hundreds of years,” but was dug up to make way for an upcoming children’s cancer center.
A portable TV, a Kylie Minogue CD and a picture of Diana were among the items buried.
Great Ormond Street Hospital
Hospital staff who were either born in 1991 or were working there during the burial were invited to dig up the capsule.
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“I was so excited to be involved in the removal of the time capsule, which was buried the year I was born,” said clinical fellow Rochana Redkar, who was part of the ceremony.
Diana was appointed president of the hospital in 1989 and visited children there on a number of occasions.
John Stillwell - PA Images/PA Images via Getty Images
Janet Holmes, a senior health play specialist who was working at the hospital in 1991, felt the nostalgia of seeing the old technology being unearthed.
Staff who were born on or worked at the hospital in 1991 were invited to dig it up.
Great Ormond Street Hospital
“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,” she said. “They were very expensive then!”
The Kylie Minogue CD, Rhythm of Love, was released in 1990 and features the hits “Better the Devil You Know,” “What Do I Have to Do,” and “Shocked.” It was the first album of hers not to reach No. 1 in the British charts, instead peaking at No. 9.
Aside from minor cosmetic damage, archivists confirmed that nearly all the items contained within are still usable.
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