NEED TO KNOW
A time capsule Princess Diana buried in the walls of a London hospital has been unearthed after more than 30 years
When Diana served as president of the Great Ormond Street Hospital, she helped construct the capsule, which contained items selected by two young contest winners to represent the ’90s
The capsule also included a photo of the princess and a newspaper
A time capsule Princess Diana left in the walls of a London hospital has been unearthed and opened more than 30 years later.

In 1991, when the Princess of Wales was president of the Great Ormond Street Hospital in London, she helped bury a lead-encased wooden box filled with items that represented life in the 1990s.

While Diana oversaw the capsule, the items were actually chosen by two children, Sylvia Foulkes and David Watson, who won a contest on the popular children’s TV show Blue Peter.

They chose to include a hologram of a snowflake, a solar-powered calculator, British coins, tree seeds from Kew Gardens, a sheet of recycled paper, a European passport, a pocket television and a copy of Kylie Minogue’s 1990 album, Rhythm of Love. A photo of Diana, a recent copy of the Times and letters from Foulkes and Watson were also added.

Princess Diana, wearing a Chanel suit, talking to patients at the Great Ormond Street Children’s hospital in London, March 1991.Princess Diana, wearing a Chanel suit, talking to patients at the Great Ormond Street Children’s hospital in London, March 1991.
Princess Diana visiting with patients at the Great Ormond Street Hospital in March 1991.
Jayne Fincher/Getty

The time capsule was meant to be opened centuries after it was stowed away; however, new construction on the children’s clinic necessitated the demolition of the wall where it was placed, so the hospital chose to open it now.

The Times reported that the box had suffered some water damage, but the items were mostly intact. Archivists are working to restore the letters from the effects of humidity.

Jason Dawson, executive director of Space and Place at GOSH, oversaw the removal and opening of the capsule, which he told The Times was “really quite moving… almost like connecting with memories of things that have been planted by a generation gone by.”

“There were some really odd things in there that you would have thought at the time were [at the] cutting edge of technology, such as the pocket calculator and pocket TV. When you look at them now, they almost look like toys,” he said. “We had no technology to even try to play the CD on.”

Princess Diana’s time capsule actually mirrored an earlier royal ceremony. In 1872, Alexandra, then also the Princess of Wales, laid the foundation stone of the older hospital building and sealed a time capsule, which contained a copy of The Times and a photo of Queen Victoria. It has never been found. GOSH plans to plant a new capsule when the new hospital renovations are complete.

“I have no doubt that if Diana was still with us, she would still be connected with us in some way,” Dawson said. “She really was a signifier of something special.”

Princess Diana served as president of the hospital from 1989 until her death in 1997. She visited frequently, sometimes bringing along her sons, Prince William and Prince Harry.

Prince William and Prince Harry, accompanied by their mother Princess Diana, visit Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children on April 05, 1992 in London, England.