Adoring fans of the late Diana, Princess of Wales, are unable to visit her gravesite because of safety concerns previously cited by her brother, Charles, 9th Earl Spencer, upon her tragic death in 1997.
Diana was just 36 years old when she died from injuries sustained in a high-speed car crash in the Parisian Pont de l'Alma tunnel. She was riding in a Mercedes-Benz S280, driven by Henri Paul, with Dodi Fayed, an Egyptian film producer six years her senior, at the time of her demise.
Two thousand people attended the royal’s funeral at Westminster Abbey six days later, while the British television audience was a jaw-dropping 32.10 million on average, as per the BBC.
Amid the period of public mourning, Diana’s brother Charles, now 61, stated that his sibling would be buried in the grounds of her ancestral home, Althorp Park.
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The Grade I listed stately home and estate is situated in West Northamptonshire. The Spencer family have held the seat for more than 500 years.
“It has been decided to bury Diana, Princess of Wales, in the grounds of Althorp Park, where her grave can be properly looked after by her family and visited in privacy by her sons,” Charles said at the time.
In 2017, he told the BBC that he changed plans for his sister to be laid to rest in the family tombs at a local church 80 miles away.
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Instead, it seemed ‘natural’ to bury her remotely at Athorp Park as he ‘wanted to keep her safe’, according to the earl.
“There was such a whipped-up feeling of emotion everywhere that I was very worried about where we could safely bury her,” he added, revealing that his sister wanted her sons, William, Prince of Wales, and Harry, Duke of Sussex, to be able to visit her in private.
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“I think it’s very important for them to be there with her,” he told People.
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“It is, luckily, very tranquil here and they can come and go as they wish whenever they want. And that’s very lovely for me to know that.”
It’s understood that Diana’s grave is located on a small island in the middle of the property’s ornamental Oval Lake.
Originally put into the estate because the Spencers ‘had a thing for ice skating’, the Lake underwent extensive renovation in 2017, as per the Express.
A statement read: “The Oval Lake where Diana, Princess of Wales, was laid to rest on September 6, 1997, is undergoing an extensive redesign to honour her memory. It will be completed in time for the 20th anniversary of her death, in August 2017.”
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Both William and Harry have paid their respects at their mother’s grave over the years.
The heir to the British throne previously took Catherine, Princess of Wales, in 2011, while Harry brought Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, in 2022.
Recounting the moment in his bestselling autobiography Spare, Harry said: “I helped Meg into the boat. It wobbled, but I quick-stepped to the middle, got it righted in time.”
“As she found a seat in the stern, I took up the oars. They didn't work. We're stuck. The thick mud of the shallows had us in its grip. Uncle Charles came down to the water's edge, gave us a little shove.
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He added: “At long last, I was bringing the girl of my dreams home to meet mum.”
Diana’s grave on the Oval Lake isn’t accessible to the public, but mourners who want to pay their respects to the late Princess can still pay tribute to her memory.
Althorp hosts ‘The Temple’, a Grecian-style building that has borne Diana’s name and two tablets since July 1998.
People reported that a quote from Diana sits on one of the tablets. It reads: "Nothing brings me more happiness than trying to help the most vulnerable people in society. It is a goal and an essential part of my life, a kind of destiny, whoever is in distress can call on me. I will come running wherever they are.”
Ozzy Osbourne laid to rest in similar fashion to Princess Diana
Lady Di isn’t the only mega celebrity to be buried at her home, with Ozzy Osbourne, the famed ‘Prince of Darkness’, following in her footsteps.
The legendary Black Sabbath frontman died on July 22, 2025, with his funeral taking place nine days later.
A source told The Sun that the 76-year-old music veteran would be buried on the grounds of his and Sharon Osbourne’s Grade II-listed mansion, Welders House, in the village of Jordans, Buckinghamshire.
Like Diana, it’s also said he would be buried close to a ‘beautiful’ lake on the sprawling 250-acre private property.
The home, which Ozzy and Sharon purchased in 1993, was once owned by two-time Academy Award-winning special effects director John Stears.
In his 2010 autobiography, I Am Ozzy, the rock icon outlined exactly what he wanted put on his gravestone.
“I ain't under any illusions. If I close my eyes, I can already see it. Ozzy Osbourne, born 1948. Died, whenever. He bit the head off a bat.”
Topics: Princess Diana, Royal Family, Celebrity, UK News, Ozzy Osbourne, Sharon Osbourne
Ella Scott