Princess Diana's 1991 time capsule inside Great Ormond Street Hospital dug up early
A message from the past before Princess of Wales died in 1997
A time capsule buried by Princess Diana at Great Ormond Street Hospital in 1991 has been dug up and opened.
The wooden box, encased in lead, was sealed within the main entrance of the London hospital – and wasn’t meant to be unearthed for “hundreds of years”.
However, the area it was placed in has been earmarked for the construction of a children’s cancer centre. And so, the treasures of the day that were stored away to illustrate life in the early 1990s for future generations have been revealed…
What was in the Princess Diana time capsule?
The former, late Princess of Wales, who died nearly 28 years ago in August 1997, visited several times after becoming president of the children’s hospital in 1989.
She is said to have helped two children select the items which were placed in the time capsule. Those children became eligible to decide what best represented life at that time after winning a Blue Peter competition.
Among the items contained within the capsule were a Kylie Minogue CD, a solar-powered calculator, and a passport.
There was also a pocket TV, a snowflake hologram, coins, tree seeds, a sheet of recycled paper, and a photo of Princess Diana in the box.
A copy of The Times newspaper from the date of the capsule’s burial was also inside. Headlines on its front page included: “Cooked meats bring out Soviet voters in droves” and “US rejects Iraqi warplanes plea as rebels close in”.
The classic Kylie CD, her Rhythm of Love album which was released in 1990, and features hit singles Better the Devil You Know and Step Back In Time.
Time capsule items ‘damaged’
Images of the time capsule items seem to show they had been affected by moisture.
Additionally, hospital staff born in 1991, or who working at the hospital in 1991, helped remove it from the ground.
Janet Holmes, senior health play specialist who was working at the hospital at the time, is quoted as saying the portable TV brought lots of memories back for her.
She said: “I had bought one for my husband back in the day. For when he had a break whilst driving his coach around the country. They were very expensive then!”
Back in 1872, another time capsule buried at the hospital by Princess Alexandra as a foundation stone was set. However, that capsule – which contained a photo of Queen Victoria – has never been rediscovered.
Read more: Prince William and Prince Harry consider ‘rival documentaries’ in tribute to Princess Diana
The new children’s cancer centre will be a “national resource of the treatment of childhood cancers”, according to a statement.
The design of the centre will assist clinical teams develop “kinder, more effective treatments” for patients staying at the hospital.
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