A Tribute Website Inspired by Diana, Princess of Wales
My Mother-in-Law gave me her vintage Danbury Mint Porcelain Princess Diana Wedding Doll in 2007, just a few months before she passed away. “I know you will take good care of her,” she assured me.
For almost 20 years, that beautiful doll lay carefully wrapped in tissue paper in a closet, the original Danbury Mint box protecting her from the various Christmas ornaments, forgotten Halloween decorations, and silk flowers that tumbled around her. I never forgot about her. Every time I went to a furniture store or a thrift market I always kept my eye open for the ‘perfect’ glass display cabinet. I got close a few times, and even considered having one custom built. Alas, time kept passing and the princess doll kept sleeping.
Things turned hopeful in 2023 when I met a talented wooden furniture restorer. She knew how to take an old chest of drawers, paint it a magnificent pink or purple, and then add embellishments and paintings and artwork until it was reborn. After buying several large items from her for my office, I visited her workshop where she introduced me to a glass cabinet that she had been saving for ‘something special’. I let her in on my secret. She loved Diana, too! The search was over.
Together, we designed a Tiffany blue masterpiece, with silver patterned frosting and a princess coach expertly applied on the front. Inside were two glass shelves, but I decided not to use them after I saw how well she fit by just placing her on a box. There are little hooks for lighting, and although it is a large piece of furniture, it is compact enough to fit in a corner of my library.
Diana looks beautiful in her new home. It was a long wait, but this Sleeping Beauty is finally displayed in her very own
elegant castle. I brushed her hair and smoothed out her train along the bottom of the shelf, then set her on top of a real merchandise box from Tiffany’s. I thought that that was a nice touch. I hung fairy lights around the top and put a black and white canvas I purchased off the internet as a background. I love the way she looks.
