The Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain, London
Princes
Of Wales Memorial Fountain - 2004
The Princess of Wales Fountain was created as a memorial to Princess Diana, mother of Prince William, the future King of England and Prince Harry. The fountain is located in the south west corner of London’s Hyde Park. It is south of the Serpentine Lake and east of the Serpentine Gallery. The fountain was built with the best materials and state of the art technology. The base of was the fountain was laid in 2003, but the entire structure was completed and opened on July 6, 2004. Queen Elizabeth II was the keynote speaker and spoke about Princess Diana’s life long devotion to children and charitable works. The memorial was designed by Kathryn Gustafson, who is a famous American landscape artist. The fountain is a large oval stream bed made from 545 pieces of Cornish granite. The entire fountain is surrounded by a grassy expanse of land where visitors are encouraged to sit and reflect. It is 165 feet by 260 feet wide and extremely shallow.
The Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain was originally designed to be used like a wading pond. The depth of the stream bed varies between ten to twenty feet. The pieces of granite are arranged in sloping steps which allow the water to flow gently downhill through the fountain. The oval fountain is divided into two parts. One half of the fountain slowly descends over gently sloping granite steps. The water falls softly and evenly creating a pleasant rippling effect. This half of the fountain represents the happy and peaceful times of Princess Diana’s life.
The other half of the fountain is characterized by variety of steps, curves, and rills, which the water rapidly crashes over. This half of the fountain represents the turmoil that often plagued Princess Diana’s life. Water flows from each side and meets in the calm pool at the bottom of the fountain. The water is constantly recycled and filtered through London’s water system. The Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain embodies Diana’s openness. It has three bridges which stretch over the stream bed taking visitors into 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.