On 6 July HM The Queen officially opened the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London's Hyde Park.

The Duke of Edinburgh, the Prince of Wales, and Princes William and Harry also attended the ceremony, along with representatives of the Spencer family, including the Princess' brother Earl Spencer.

In her speech The Queen referred to "the extraordinary effect Diana had on those around her", and paid tribute to her "wider legacy" and her ability "not only to touch people's lives but to change them".

Earlier, Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell had said -
"This is no ordinary memorial. Like the Princess herself, the fountain is open and approachable.
In some areas it offers a welcoming space for families and paddling children, in others a shady spot for quiet contemplation.
I hope that it will be enjoyed by the millions of different people who come to visit it in the future and will be embraced by all as a permanent celebration of Diana, Princess of Wales."

The Memorial Fountain cost $6.5 million (£3.6 million) and measures 80 metres (262 feet) by 50 metres (164 feet).

It is located in London's Hyde Park to the south of the lake known as the Serpentine and near the Lido.

The team responsible for the design and construction of the Memorial includes landscape designers, computer modeling specialists, consultant engineers, construction professionals and expert stonemasons.
The design team was led by American-born landscape architect Kathryn Gustafson of Gustafson Porter.

The Memorial is an oval of water set lightly across the existing contours of the site.
The feature uses the topography to divert the water downhill in two directions.
According to Ms Gustafson, the design expresses the concept of ‘Reaching Out-Letting In’.
This is based on the qualities of Diana, Princess of Wales that were most loved, her inclusiveness and her accessibility.

The presence of the fountain surrounded by open landscape has an energy which radiates outwards while at the same time draws people toward it.

There are various features along the fountain which have been created by texturing the stone or by adding jets of water.

Source
The Source is located at the highest point where water bubbles up from the base of the fountain.
Approximately 22 gallons (100 litres) per second of water is pumped uphill from a storage tank in front of the refurbished plant room beside the Serpentine.
From here it runs downhill in two directions (east and west).

Steps

East - Steps
The water bounces down a cascade of steps which have been richly textured with a surface evocative of natural patterns or pleated fabric.
After this there is a level crossing point for people to enter the heart of the oval from the outside of the ring.
East - Rock and Roll
The water then enters an area where the granite has been sculpted so that the water gently rocks and rolls as it travels along a subtle curve.
East - Swoosh
The water then picks up momentum before it enters a subtle curve where five water jets create patterns of water and additional energy is pumped into the fountain which the designers have named the 'swoosh'.

Mountain Stream

West - Mountain Stream
The granite channel to the west of the Source has been highly textured using innovative stone cutting techniques to create a lively play of water which recalls a mountain stream or babbling brook.
The water then passes under a level crossing point where the stone channel begins to flatten out.
West - Bubbles
As the water travels further, the channel widens out and air bubbles are introduced into the water in five locations.
The bubbles are carried downstream where the water becomes a tumbling cascade of white water as it corners over a waterfall.
West - Chaddar
A ‘chaddar’ is a water feature created by the flow of water over elaborately carved stone found in traditional Mughal gardens.
The chaddar is one of the prominent water features where the water spills over from the western side before tumbling into a large pool at the bottom of the ring.

The Reflecting Pool
The water traveling from both east and west ends its journey in a reflective basin at the lowest point of the water feature.
The visible surface of the water at this point is enlivened by special texturing at the bottom of the pool.

The water which has joined together from both sides of the fountain leaves the ring at this point.
The water is then pumped back to the Source to continue its unending cycle.

The new Diana Memorial was being opened by the Queen that day
and I wanted to check it out.
The Queen had done her business by the time I got there
but I still went to have a look - it was quite nice.

I was very disappointed to see that there were kids and people
paddling and swimming in the fountain.
It seemed to me that they didn't quite understand that it was supposed to be respectful
and I felt like telling them to all get out.

The stage was still set up where "Aunty Lizzy" did her speech
so I went up to get a better view.
All the seats had stickers on them as to where people were to sit.
There was a sticker for the Queen and a sticker for Earl Charles Spencer (Di's brother).
There were others too, but I had no idea who they were!

It was a lovely sunny day and I had taken a book so that I could sit and read.

I walked by the Serpentine in Hyde Park until I found a likely spot.

(two photos)

I propped myself in a deck chair and took in the sights of folks in row boats
and peddle boats and roller blading and horse-riding all around me.

It is a lovely place to be.

I sat there and read and ate my cheese and crackers until it was time
to head to Picadilly to watch the Formula One cars go round!

I was quite disappointed when I got there.

I was there about two hours before it started
and the rows to the track were already about ten deep.
I pushed my way through for a while
and soon realised that I wasn't going to get a good spot
so I hopped on a bus and went home and watched it on the news!

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