Diana – The People’s Princess is a limited-run, traveling exhibition located at the Branson Exhibition Center (formerly the Roy Rogers Museum) at 3950 Green Mountain Drive in Branson, Missouri.
The exhibition looks at the life of Diana Spencer, Princess of Wales as told through her own personal objects and stories from every day life. The 26,000-sq. ft. exhibition features 5 dresses which Diana donated for charity and sold at Christie’s Auction House on June 25, 1997. The dresses are owned by Maureen Rorech Dunkel of Tampa, Florida, who had anonymously purchased the largest collection of Diana’s dresses at the auction.
Dresses currently on display in the exhibition include the pink “India” dress, which Diana wore during her 1992 official state tour of India, a long black velvet dress Diana wore in her official portrait and to the opening night gala of Les Misérables (1985), a navy blue dress she wore on the royal yacht RMS Britannia (1990), a Scottish dancing dress she wore to a charity event at Balmoral, Scotland (1990), and a dark green silk velvet dress designed by couturier Victor Edelstein.
In addition, the exhibition features a collection of more than 1,200 objects, reflecting a variety of authentic artifacts and historic collectibles relating to Diana’s life. Among the many objects on display is an actual slice of Diana and Prince Charles’ wedding cake. This item is preserved in a special presentation cake box, and was personally signed by Diana’s brother, Charles Spencer. The item is a single serving of fruitcake, made with raisins, sultanas and topped with a marzipan icing.
At the beginning of the exhibition, attendees enter a 300-seat theater, where they view a 15-minute video which follows the journey of a young girl from the English countryside, whose life would ultimately play out on the world stage and make her a household name on seven continents.
The rest of the self-guided tour takes guests through a series of themed rooms, each dedicated to a different time in Princess Diana’s life, showcasing personal objects and historic mementos throughout the exhibit.
Featured areas include:
The exhibition opened July 1, 2010, on what would have been the 49th birthday of Princess Diana. Prior to its opening in Branson, the exhibition had a five-month run at Downtown Disney in Orlando, Fl.