Located in the south west corner of Hyde Park, sits the Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, created to memorialize Princess Diana. This fountain used the best materials and incorporated state of the art technology. The fountain base was laid in 2003, and the overall fountain would be completed on July 6th, 2004. The keynote speaker for the opening of the fountain was Queen Elizabeth, who spoke about Diana’s dedication and lifelong work for children and charitable organizations.
The design of the fountain was done by Kathryn Gustafson, a famous American landscape artist. The fountain is a large oval stream bed created from 545 pieces of Cornish granite. The fountain is surrounded by a green lawn, perfect to sit and reflect. The size of the fountain is 165 feet by 260 feet wide, and is very shallow. It was designed to be used as a wading pool originally. The stream bed varies in depth from ten to twenty feet. The water gently flows downhill because the granite bricks are laid in sloping steps. Half of the fountain allows the water creates a soothing and gentle rippling effect, representing the good and peaceful times of Princess Diana’s life.
The other half of the fountain features steps, curves, and rills where water rapidly crashes over it. This part represents the turmoil that plagued Diana’s life. The water flows from both sides to meet in the calm pool at the bottom of the fountain. The water is recycled and filtered through the London water system. The fountain is an embodiment of the princess’s openness. There are three bridges that stretch over the stream bed, allowing visitors to enter the heart of the fountain. The Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain is Diana’s last gift to the world. Her legacy lives on in the hearts and minds of every person she touched in her short lifetime.