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LONG
BEACH, Calif. -- "Diana:
Legacy of A Princess - A Royal Exhibition" is now open for
all to enjoy on the sun deck of the mighty RMS Queen Mary
in Long Beach, Calif. This multi-million dollar collection took
over 30 years to assemble and includes approximately 2,000 items
related to the Windsor family. It also provides an in-depth look
at other members of the British royal family, those who actually
visited or sailed on the Queen Mary. A portion of the exhibit's
proceeds will benefit The Pink Ribbon Crusade, a non-profit organization
that offers breast cancer awareness and prevention services.
"It's
quite a historical exhibit through the generations of the royal
family," said Will Kayne, the Queen Mary's captain. "We
have items from the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. We have letters
from the Queen Mary and King George V, hand-written letters of
their own. The Pink Ribbon Crusade was looking for a home for
the exhibit and the exhibit kept growing. When they were contacted
by the Queen Mary, we invited them down here to take a look at
this space that we had available. It kind of all evolved from
there. There's 14,000 square feet that has been reworked aboard
the Queen Mary that contains all of these items."
This new
collection features a variety of evening gowns, dresses, personal
accessories, pictures, heirlooms and other cherished memorabilia
connected to Princess Diana and the royal family.
"I
would probably say Diana's gowns are what is attracting the most
attention," Kayne added. "History buffs, however, are
interested in the Duke and Duchess of Windsor. They were regular
travelers aboard the Queen Mary. They sailed on the Queen Mary
until 1952. Many of the artifacts in the exhibit are being seen
by the public for the very first time. The exhibit is here for
a year with a possible extension. I think it's a wonderful thing
for families to come down. It's a great history lesson. It takes
you all the way from the Queen Mary and King George up through
William and Harry. We have items from William and Kate, too."
Plan on
spending at least three hours looking at the Princess Diana collection.
It is very extensive and detailed.
"The
way they have it set up is really nice," said Christine Reynoso,
a visitor from Altadena, Calif. "It really leads you through
the connections of the Royal family and you can see all of the
contributions Diana has made through her time. Being on the Queen
Mary, it adds to the whole allure to the exhibit. It is my first
time here. We're just starting the Diana exhibit and then we are
going to tour the Queen Mary as well. I didn't realize it was
a hotel, so we're looking forward to that."
The Queen
Mary also offers a tea room that also serves sandwiches, scones,
pastries and a full lunch. It is a great way to take a break during
the middle of the exhibit.
"I
love it, I think this is fabulous," said Diane Bramwell of
San Diego. "Obviously, I'm English so I grew up in England
so I remember a lot of this. I think it's wonderful to have it
all under one roof. This is a very appropriate place for it to
be hosted. I love the fact that they started the history right
from Queen Mary and moved all the way up through the ages. This
is by far the best place for it to be. No, this is not my first
time on the Queen Mary. We came around to visit probably eight
or nine years ago just to walk around the Queen Mary itself. This
is so much different, it's fabulous. I love it."
Attendance
at the Queen Mary has increased significantly with this new collection.
During my first visit to the historic ship in the middle of May,
I was able to walk right up and pick up my tickets. Now, there
were about 50 people in line during my visit last Saturday. Don't
worry -- the line moves fast.
"I'm
her daughter, I also grew up in England for a little bit,"
said Anna Bramwell, another visitor from San Diego. "To come
back and be able to see it again is awesome. Princess Diana is
someone I really look up to in life. It's cool to be able to see
everything and learn all about her family. This is my first time
here. It's really awesome, I like it."
The exhibit
ends with about a dozen newspaper clippings about the unfortunate
car crash that ultimately killed Princess Diana.
"We
are enjoying it," said Ramon Reynoso, also of Altadena, Calif.
"It's quite fascinating to see all of the history before
Diana. I think it makes a lot of sense having it here, on the
site where the royals have visited and used it before as a method
of transportation. It brings it that closer to home. No, this
is not my first time here. It has been a long time since I've
been here. Hopefully, we will stay here for the night."
In addition,
there is a gift shop with unique gifts and souvenirs. Visitors
can take home replicas of the items that are in the locked display
cases.
"I
think it's great, I just recently visited England," said
Sharon Fingerman, also from San Diego. "It's nice to see
all of the history behind it. It's beautiful. There's history
that I didn't realize so I learned a lot just from this. This
is my second trip here. We stayed in the hotel, my husband and
I."
Visitors
should schedule their entire day on the Queen Mary with enough
time to tour the ship, the historic exhibit and this new Diana
collection.
"Diana:
Legacy of A Princess - A Royal Exhibition"
is open daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets are purchased based
on timed entry. The last tickets for the day will be sold from
5:45 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in person, however
it is recommended to purchase them online
ahead of time. Adult tickets are $34.95 and child tickets are
$23.95. These prices include the Princess Diana exhibit, a self-guided
tour of the ship and entrance to the Queen Mary story and historic
exhibit. To arrange a group tour, contact sales@queenmary.com
or (562)499-1620. The Queen Mary is located at 126 Queens Highway
in Long Beach, CA 90802.
For
more information about "Diana:
Legacy of A Princess - A Royal Exhibition," visit www.queenmary.com/diana-collection.php.
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IOWA is now open for tours at its new, permanent home in San Pedro
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
A ceramic figurine of Princess Diana.
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
A
personal handbag that Princess Diana donated to an animal charity
in the 1960s.
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
TIME
was the first U.S. magazine to feature Princess Diana on its
cover.
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO
/ ©AMERICAJR.com
Princess
Diana wore this gown for her 1983 Official Tour of New Zealand.
PHOTO
BY JASON RZUCIDLO / ©AMERICAJR.com
Queen
Mary Captain Will Kayne chats with visitors Diane Bramwell, Sharon
Fingerman and Anna Bramwell, all of San Diego.
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