Royal Wedding fever is sweeping across Great Britain this month, and proving itself to be contagious even to Anglophiles on this side of the pond. The King's Speech was crowned Best Picture at this year's Academy Awards. And here in Kansas City, thousands are flocking to the award-winning exhibit, "Diana, A Celebration" at Union Station to feast their eyes on Princess Diana's wedding gown and drool over her tiara.
It's not often that Kansas City area fans of Royalty can get their "Royal Fix" this close to home. Union Station is hosting this major exhibition chronicling the life and humanitarian work of Diana, Princess of Wales, through June 12. The international exhibit is on loan from the Althorp Estate, the Spencer family's ancestral home, and all proceeds benefit the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund.
"Diana, A Celebration" showcases nine galleries of 150 objects, including Diana's royal wedding gown, 28 designer dresses, tiaras and jewelry, family heirlooms, personal mementos, home movies and photos. This limited engagement in Kansas City will be the public's final opportunity to see the exhibition in the USA before it returns to the Althorp Estate for the summer.
No matter what wedding gown Kate Middleton picks out to wear at the end of the month, Diana's famous gown will still be the center of attention at this exhibit. The dress, with its enormous train, is showcased in a glass case more than 25 feet long.
Another star attraction at the exhibit is a sheet of paper containing Bernie Taupin's handwritten lyrics to "Good-bye England's Rose," which was performed by Elton John at Princess Diana's funeral in 1997. George Martin's signature is also on the sheet of lyrics.
Some of the more poignant items in the exhibit include toys Diana played with as a child and her childhood ballet slippers, as well as a book of prayers given to her by Mother Teresa.
Union Station officials expect 75,000 people to visit the exhibit. For more information, go to Union Station's website.
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