Princess Diana's Funeral Part 24: The Hearse at Regent's Park and onwards through St John's Wood

The Hearse Continues its journey onto Gloucester Place, passing the Hospital where Diana's father died in 1992. The crowd gets close enough to throw flowers that land on the hearse.

Some interesting things about the hearse:

The hearse used for the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales was the 1984 Daimler DS420 Hearse registration number "B626 MRK" which was then owned by Leverton and Sons Funeral Directors.

At the time of the funeral, the hearse was already almost 13 years old. In a 2003 interview the driver on the day, Sidney Clarke, said it was completely overhauled and resprayed in the week before the funeral. It was used to collect Diana's coffin when it arrived back in the UK at RAF Northolt six days before and the moving of it from St James' Palace to Kensington Palace the day before.

The day before the funeral, mechanics from the police and Buckingham Palace thoroughly checked its roadworthyness to ensure there was not the remotest possibility of it breaking down on the big day.

More about the hearse in Part 25...

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• Diana
• Princess
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• Wales
• Funeral
• London
• Damlier

[adelgado75]

What type of flag was draped over her coffin?

[tribecatom]

The Standard of the British Royal Family.

[avonrangemaster]

I was working in London this week. I have never heard London so silent. You could hear the birds - nothing else. The usual traffic din has stopped. The smell of thousands of flowers - both fresh and dead - still stirs vivid memories of the tragic event in our lives.

[avonrangemaster]

I was here at the time. I walked amongst the throng of silent people looking & crying. The lasting memory? It was the silence - even the birds. The scent of flowers - both fresh and wilted - was filling the air.I took a film in absolute silence - everyone was in shock. I remember driving my Boss to meet his Son one evening. He could not understand why it took 3 hours to do a mile? People were everywhere! You could not move a few inches.I'm glad I was there. It will remain with me forever.

[Brenda2OOO]

Those flowers coming to rest on the hearse was one of the saddest and most beautiful things I've ever seen.

[ybot1983]

ironic she went past staple corner and MJ memorial was at the staples centre

[BCJ1985]

A little slip from David Dimbleby there - the M6 was the first motorway.

[sprinklefriend]

i was only 11 when she died, so my only memories are watching tv at odd hours here in america due to the time difference...

but i WAS in London when the fountain for her was dedicated, and even then - 7 years later!!!!!!! - we had to wait hours to ensure a place along the metal barriers. the love for Diana, it seems, has not lessened over time.

i was HONORED to be present.

[lbaker06]

hmmm so sad to this day, I wonder what the world would be today is she was here in the flesh?

[ksol1460]

This was different Sunsnare... Since she was not officially a member of the royal family it was kind of a strange mingling of state funeral and personal memorial.