Princess Diana Time Capsule Unearthed — But What Are They, Who Gets One, and How Did the Tradition Begin?

A time capsule linked to Princess Diana has been uncovered at London's Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), more than three decades after it was sealed. The wooden, lead-lined box was hidden in the hospital walls in 1991, when Diana served as its president.

The contents from the box, which included British coins, a solar-powered calculator, a pocket television, seeds from Kew Gardens, a hologram of a snowflake, and a Kylie Minogue CD, were chosen not by Diana herself but by two schoolchildren who won a competition on the BBC's Blue Peter. A signed photo of Diana and a copy of The Times were also enclosed.

According to reports, the capsule was intended to remain sealed for centuries, but construction on a new children's cancer centre led to its unexpected recovery. While some items suffered water damage, archivists say most of the artefacts are intact.

What Exactly Is a Time Capsule?

At its core, a time capsule is a deliberately assembled collection of objects intended to represent a particular moment in history. Unlike artefacts preserved by accident, time capsules are purposeful and designed to speak to a future audience.

Modern examples can range from national projects, such as the famous Westinghouse capsule buried at the 1939 New York World's Fair, to small community or school capsules created to commemorate anniversaries. The core idea of the practice is to preserve someone from the present to be discovered by the generation ahead.

Jason Dawson, executive director of Space and Place at GOSH, who oversaw the removal, told The Times the opening was 'really quite moving... almost like connecting with memories of things that have been planted by a generation gone by.'

Who Creates Them?

Time capsules are made by a surprisingly wide range of people and institutions.

Usually, governments and cities often seal them during building projects or milestone anniversaries. Companies sometimes use them as branding exercises, filling them with product samples and other promotional materials.

In a few places, schools frequently encourage students to curate their own capsules as class projects.

In Diana's case, the project was collaborative as royalty lent the occasion visibility, a public broadcaster supplied the contest, and two children, Sylvia Foulkes and David Watson, made the final picks.

The Royal Connection

The practice of sealing a capsule at GOSH actually stretches back more than a century.

In 1872, Princess Alexandra, then Princess of Wales, buried one during a foundation stone ceremony for the hospital's older building. That box reportedly contained a photograph of Queen Victoria and a copy of The Times. Unlike Diana's, it has never been located.

This continuity links Diana to earlier royal traditions while highlighting her own approach, which involves children and pop culture rather than limiting the contents to official documents.

Why Do They Matter?

Time capsules often end up being more about the people who open them than those who created them.

To the children of the early 1990s, a pocket TV felt futuristic; to today's hospital staff, it looks like a toy. Dawson noted that the hospital didn't even have the technology to play the Kylie Minogue CD anymore, underscoring how quickly culture and technology can move on.

Yet the rediscovery sparked memories of Diana's role at GOSH and her wider humanitarian work, and it also points towards the fact that her legacy continues to inspire people around the world.

Meanwhile, the hospital has reportedly announced plans to create a new capsule as part of its current redevelopment, ensuring that future generations will uncover their own snapshot of today's world.

As Dawson said, 'I have no doubt that if Diana was still with us, she would still be connected with us in some way. She really was a signifier of something special.'