Princess Diana’s beloved playground gets £3m revamp
- By Maria Lopez -
- Aug 06, 2026
London’s most famous play area has officially swung back open – on the 5th of August 2026 – as the Princess Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens has officially welcomed visitors back following a 3million renovation led by the Royal Parks charity.
Originally constructed in 2000 to commemorate the Princess of Wales, close to her then home at Kensington Palace, the Peter Pan-themed adventure area caters for over one million children and families each year.
After over two decades of constant use, essential play equipment – including the original showpiece sailing ship – had to come to the end of its operational life, necessitating a total redesign.
“So the very much-loved landform is largely, in effect, the same shape, the planting around the site of what would be called nature play,”.
The playground, which is located adjacent to Kensington Palace in Kensington Gardens, is open from 9am until sunset. Admission is free. “There can be times – during the very popular summer months” she warned. “when there will be… a queue system here and access… will be limited.
We just can’t let everybody in… at the same time.
There are 450 visitors at anybody one time in here and that may change depending on… the demand.” But the one and only, very large ship that was used as play equipment, with its much of her time spent at or near it throughout her childhood years… that had to… it was over 20 years old at the point… it was past its life for the type of usage it got in a playground.”
After 20+ years of intensive public use the mainplay equipment within Kensington Gardens – including Princess Diana’s iconic sailing ship that anchored to her sandpit – has come to the end of its operational life.
The playground will stay in shape to include an all new structure that is being built from the water – on the old ship’s current place on the sands. Work is a “complete overhaul, taking elements but replacing them with a number of the existing elements with new equipment “explains Slevin, “and also ensuring there are more elements here and the space will become far more open because obviously it is packed now at weekends”.
The £3million investment at the historical destination significantly increases the accessibility, green credentials and inclusive play experience for children of all abilities.
New play features include a 17m custom wooden pirate galleon on its own sandy beach, complete with wheelchair access and slide, plus a multi-story tree house and an extended crocodile water play feature for hot weather.
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A new dedicated toddler zone and much expanded, updated visitor facilities have also been introduced.