The Queen Mary has announced that it will further honor as well as continue to harbor British culture as it gained exclusive rights to a special exhibit associated with Princess Diana, becoming the first attraction on the Long Beach icon to display personal and historical artifacts affiliated with the Royal Family. In a partnership with Pink Ribbons Crusade breast cancer charity, the collection of fashion, jewelry, photographs, and other heirlooms and memorabilia associated with Princess Diana and the Royal Family will be on display at the Queen Mary for at least a year following significantly shorter stints at Kensington Palace in London as well as Bath, England.
The Queen Mary itself has taken on a renovation in order to accomodate the exhibit, re-purposing some 13,000 square feet on the Sun Deck in a process that will have lasted five months upon completion. The décor is largely thematic in nature, sticking to the historical art deco aspects of the ship itself and will include a tea room and gift boutique.
The direct connection to Pink Ribbons is not just a sponsorship, as a portion of the proceeds will be given to a particular non-profit via invitation whose focus is breast cancer, an issue with which Diana was intimately attached to. Steve Sheldon, Director of Entertainment Events, told the Post that the first beneficiary will be chosen in June. “With thousands of weekly visitors to the ship and the collection’s unique appeal, we are optimistic the annual contribution to charity will be meaningful,” he said.
Diana: Legacy of a Princess will open June 16 of this year at the Queen Mary.