A time capsule buried by Princess Diana more than three decades ago has been unearthed at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital, offering a nostalgic glimpse into the early 1990s.
The capsule, sealed in 1991, was recovered as part of demolition work to make way for a new children's cancer center, NBC News reported. Its unveiling took place on Aug. 27, six days before the 27th anniversary of Diana's death.
The wooden box, encased in lead, had been hidden inside the foundation of the hospital's Variety Club Building, which officially opened in 1994. Although the capsule was intended to remain sealed for centuries, hospital officials recovered it earlier than expected as construction crews prepared the site.
Inside were cultural artifacts of the era: Kylie Minogue's "Rhythm of Love" album, a Casio pocket television, a passport, a copy of The Sunday Times from the day of burial, and a photograph of the Princess of Wales herself. While some items showed signs of water damage, most were in relatively good condition.
The capsule originated from a 1991 competition run by the BBC's "Blue Peter" program. Winners Silvia Foulkes and David Watson suggested objects that might best represent the times, and Princess Diana personally helped select the final assortment.
According to Tatler, the aim was to leave behind everyday relics that could one day serve as a portrait of the early '90s for future generations.
Jason Dawson, executive director of design firm Space and Place, described the unsealing as an emotional moment.
"It was almost like connecting with memories of things that have been planted by a generation gone by," Dawson told The Times. Reflecting on the contents, he added, "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. We had no technology to even try to play the CD on."
The practice of laying capsules at the hospital has historical precedent. The outlet noted that another Princess of Wales, Princess Alexandra, placed a foundation stone for the hospital in 1872. That capsule, however, has yet to be discovered.
Six years after burying the capsule, the princess died in a car crash in Paris on Aug. 31, 1997, at the age of 36.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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