A new tribute to Princess Diana is coming to London this autumn. Fleurs de Ville, an international flower show known for its large-scale fresh floral installations, will stage “Diana” in support of The Diana Award, the charity established in her memory in 1999. The show will run from September 16 through October 6, and tickets go on sale today in honor of what would have been the late Princess of Wales’s 65th birthday.
An installation by Claridge’s Flowers, inspired by a 1989 Catherine Walker gown.
The floral headpiece was inspired by the Spencer Tiara.
One of the highlights of the exhibit is a pink and white Catherine Walker crepe gown with an asymmetric neckline that Princess Diana wore on a state visit to Brazil in 1991. Although the Princess of Wales wore the Lover’s Knot Tiara on that occasion, the florists swapped it for a family heirloom, the Spencer Tiara, in the installation. The dress was later included in 2013’s “Fit for a Princess” sale, hosted by Kerry Taylor Auctions in London. The entire collection garnered approximately $1.2 million (£800,000).
Organizers said the judging panel for the exhibition’s Fan Favourite Award—which invites visitors to vote for their favorite installation—will include Orlando Hamilton, a floral designer who has been chosen on multiple occasions to arrange flowers for the members of the royal family, including Princess Diana. “She had great taste,” Hamilton tells T&C. “Gardenia was one of her absolute favorite flowers.”
Fleurs de Villes was founded by Tina Barkley and Karen Marshall, and has produced more than 160 fresh floral events across 35 cities in five countries over the past decade, working with more than 1,600 floral artists. Previous exhibitions have drawn on themes ranging from Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age to Lunar New Year celebrations.
For this exhibition, the company chose to work exclusively with London-based designers. “Diana’s enduring influence was never simply about what she wore, but what she stood for,” Marshall said in a statement. “We are retelling the stories of the causes she championed and the people whose lives she touched through compassion, courage, and human connection.”
Tickets are priced at £32 ($42). A portion of every ticket sold will go to the organization running The Diana Award, which works to empower young people to create positive change. Organizers say the exhibition will also create paid employment opportunities for young people on-site. The Diana Award counts both Prince William and Prince Harry among its supporters, having been established as a joint legacy to their mother.
The London run is expected to be the first stop on a wider tour. In 2027, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of Diana’s death, the exhibition is expected to travel to more locations across the U.K. as well as Canada, Australia, and the United States.
