Lest we forget the

People's Princess A PLAQUE marking the life of Diana, Princess of Wales, will be officially unveiled this month -- to make certain her memory lives on in Burnley.

A ceremony on April 26, two-and-a-half years after the death of the "People's Princess", will take place at the newly-built Peace Garden in the Place de Vitry, and will be attended by the mayor and mayoress of Burnley Coun Eddie Fisk and Mrs Pat Chadwick.

Mr David Parker of Co-operative Funeral Services, which donated the memorial, will also attend.

The plaque, containing the words: "In Memory of Diana, Princess of Wales 1961 - 1997. The People's Princess", has been placed in the garden's wall of remembrance.

Princess Diana seemed to have become the forgotten princess in Burnley, only a year after the town was flooded with flowers in her memory.

Town Hall officers expected a big response when they sent out 30,000 newsletters inviting the public to choose the inscription for the plaque.

But they were staggered when, despite the widespread publicity, only five responses arrived -- and one was defaced with a message attacking the Royal Family.

The people of Burnley who, after Diana's death in August 1997, queued to sign a book of condolence and filled the Market Square with floral tributes, had shown little interest in sustaining her memory, said a spokesman at the time. Democrat leader Gordon Birtwistle expressed disappointment at the poor public response.

He said: "It seemed quite staggering and rather sad that there seems to be such little interest so comparatively soon after the Princess' death.

"But I feel we should press ahead and place the plaque in Burnley to forever honour her memory, in tribute to the work she did for the country during her all too short life."

Councillor Beryl Barnes added: "It is amazing that all those people came down to the Town Hall and left flowers. We were amazed at the thousands who signed the books, so we are very surprised we did not get the good response we expected."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.