Why Princess Diana's former residence is being marked with blue plaque

Princess Diana's apartment at Coleherne Court in London where she lived with her girlfriends prior to her marriage to Prince Charles is being marked with a blue plaque.

Charles Spencer, brother of the late royal, took to Twitter to reveal that English Heritage is placing a blue plaque outside Diana's former home after she was nominated for it by the London Assembly. The Earl Spencer wrote: "How very lovely that this blue plaque will be going up outside Coleherne Court- thank you, @EnglishHeritage, for commemorating such a very happy place for Diana in this way."

The blue plaques scheme is over 140 years old and has been managed by English Heritage since 1986. The organisation, which receives about 100 suggestions for plaques from the public each year, has erected nearly 300 plaques till now, bringing the total number of blue plaques to over 800.

One of the basic criteria for selection is that the person nominated for the plaque must have been dead for 20 years or have passed the centenary of their birth. The Princess of Wales, who lost her life in a car crash in Paris over 23 years ago, would have celebrated her 60th birthday on July 1 this year.

Anna Eavis, English Heritage's Curatorial Director, said about the tribute to the late royal: "We are expecting our plaque to Diana, Princess of Wales to be very popular. She was an inspiration and cultural icon to many, raising awareness of issues including landmines and homelessness, and helping to destigmatise illnesses such as HIV, leprosy and depression. It seems fitting that we should erect a plaque commemorating her work and influence in what would have been her 60th year."

The apartment lies on a residential street in South Kensington, just a short walk from Kensington Palace, where the royal ultimately lived. The Palace, now the official residence of her son Prince William and his wife Kate Middleton, is also planning an event to honour the late royal on the day.

William along with his younger brother Prince Harry announced in August last year that a statue of their mother will be installed in the Sunken garden of the palace to help people "reflect on her life and legacy." The statue was commissioned in February 2017, the year that marked 20 years of Diana's death, to "recognise her positive impact in the UK and around the world."