A time capsule buried by Princess Diana at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital in 1991 has been opened prematurely due to construction of a new children's cancer center, revealing nostalgic artifacts from the 1990s including Kylie Minogue's "Rhythm of Love" CD, a pocket television, and a solar-powered calculator. The lead-encased wooden box was originally sealed during the foundation stone ceremony for the hospital's Variety Club Building with intention to remain buried for centuries.
Two children who won a Blue Peter competition assisted Diana in selecting the items, with 11-year-old David Watson contributing the Minogue CD, recycled paper, and a passport while 9-year-old Sylvia Foulkes added British coins, tree seeds, and a snowflake hologram.
The capsule also contained a copy of The Times from the burial date featuring headlines about Soviet politics and the Gulf War, with archivists noting most items remained largely intact despite minor damage.
The hospital, where Diana served as president from 1989 until her death in 1997, is replacing the site with a new national cancer treatment facility designed to develop kinder and more effective childhood cancer therapies. The 1991 ceremony mirrored a similar 1872 event involving then-Princess of Wales Alexandra, whose time capsule containing Queen Victoria's photo remains undiscovered.
