Althorp plans '˜extensive remodelling' of area around Princess Diana's grave

Althorp is planning a revamp of the Oval Lake and island - where Princess Diana was laid to rest in 1997.

The Spencer family, which owns the 13,000 acre Althorp estate on the A428 is planning its first revamp of the gardens there in 350 years.

The first stage of the works led by Earl Spencer’s wife, Countess Spencer, will be to renovate the The Oval Lake and its island, where Princess Diana was laid to rest on September 6, 1997.

It is expected to be completed in time for the 20th anniversary of her death by August next year.

The island is located at the centre of the Althorp estate, which also features a walled 500-acre park.

A statement on the Althorp website says the area around the grave is in the process of undergoing “extensive remodelling,” along with the rest of Althorp’s gardens.

In what it describes as an “ambitious project” the grounds will undergo their first major change since they were designed 350 years ago by André Le Nôtre – the principal gardener for King Louis XIV who also masterminded the gardens of Versailles.

While Althorp is open to the public in July, August and at other select times during the year, there is no public access to the island itself.

More details are expected to follow later in the year.