The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund
In the wake of the Princess of Wales's premature death, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund was established to receive charitable donations from members of the public.
Its goal is to commemorate the life of the Princess and to support the causes with which she was associated.
The first disbursements, totalling £13 million, were made from the fund in March 1998. The six causes of which the Princess of Wales was either patron or president at the time of her death each received grants of about £1 million ($1.6 million).
These were: Centrepoint, the English National Ballet, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, The Leprosy Mission, the National AIDS Trust and the Royal Marsden National Health Service Hospital Trust.
The Osteopathic Centre for Children, for whose new centre the Princess was to have launched the 'Sweet Pea Appeal' in September 1997, also received a grant of £1 million.
The Trustees further set aside around £5 million (£8 million) to be shared between the 95 charitable causes with which the Princess had previously been involved.
These organisations were asked to submit proposals to the Fund based on projects for 'vulnerable young people', 'children', 'the socially excluded' and 'survivors'.
Sinces its beginnings in 1997, the fund has continued to give grants to charities and similar organisations as a 'living memorial' to Diana, Princess of Wales.
Money from the fund is not being used to meet the costs of memorial projects for the Princess which have been approved by the Memorial Committee.
For information on making a donation to the Fund, or for enquiries about proposed events, funding, naming requests and commercial products linked with the Princess's name or her image, please contact:
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund
The First Floor
The County Hall
Westminster Bridge Road
London SE1 7PB
United Kingdom
Telephone: 020 7902 5500
Fax: 020 7902 5511
Website: Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Committee
The Memorial Committee was established in December 1997 to advise the government as to how the life of the Princess of Wales can best be commemorated, complementing the work of the Memorial Fund.
The Committee has taken into account the views of members of the public, and has regard to the charities and causes supported by the Princess.
It received more than 10,000 suggestions for appropriate memorials to the life and work of the Princess.
The Committee was chaired by the Chancellor of the Exchequer (the Minister responsible for the Treasury, the British equivalent of the Ministry of Finance), Gordon Brown.
The other nine members were the Lord Chamberlain Lord Camoys, representing the Royal Household; the Princess's sister, Lady Sarah McCorquodale, representing Earl Spencer (who also attends when he is in Great Britain) and the Princess's family; the film producer Lord Attenborough; Paul Burrell, the Princess's butler; Baroness Chalker, the former Minister for Overseas Development; the television presenter Diane Louise Jordan; the solicitor Anthony Julius; The Hon. Rosa Monckton, one of the Princess's friends; and charities representative Jane Tewson.
The Committee announced four commemoration projects.
Community children's nursing teams have been developed to support children with life-threatening and life-limiting illnesses, and their families, in their own homes (with the Government meeting the costs).
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Award for children aged 11 to 18 years recognises outstanding community service and children who have overcome personal problems.
A commemorative £5 coin was issued on 1 July 1999, the anniversary of the Princess's birthday.
Memorial projects to commemorate the Princess in the Royal Parks have also been launched:
The children's playground to the north of Kensington Palace was improved (particularly for disabled children).
A special 'Walk for Diana' links four royal London parks: Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Green Park and St James's Park.
The last component, a fountain in memory of the Princess, was built on a site near the Serpentine in Hyde Park, and opened by The Queen on 6 July 2004.
Enquiries about the Memorial Committee should be addressed to:
Samantha Beckett
Secretary
Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Committee
HM Treasury
1 Parliament Street
London SW1P 3AG
United Kingdom
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