Tears, and Water Under the Bridge

Seven years after Princess Diana’s death, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II dedicated a memorial to her, unveiling a fountain in London’s Hyde Park on Tuesday.

Thousands of spectators, many of whom wept, gathered on a sunny day for the event, where the queen was accompanied by her husband, Prince Philip; her son Prince Charles, Diana’s ex-husband; and Charles and Diana’s sons, Princes William and Harry.

Diana’s two sisters and her brother, Earl Spencer, also attended, marking the first public meeting between the Windsors and the Spencers since the princess’ funeral in 1997. The memorial was seen as a reconciliation of the families, who were bitterly divided after her death in a Paris car crash.

Before the ceremony, the families greeted each other warmly. Later, the queen, wearing a purple coat and matching dress and hat, crossed a footbridge to greet the cheering public, followed by her grandsons, who smiled and chatted with onlookers.

In her carefully worded address, the queen paid tribute to Diana, calling her “a remarkable human being.” She praised “her drive to empathize with those in difficulty, hardship or distress, her willingness to embrace a new cause, her shrewd ability to size up all those she met,” which allowed her “not only to touch people’s lives but to change them.”

The queen acknowledged the “difficult times” in Diana’s life, but said “memories mellow with the passing of years. I remember especially the happiness she gave to my two grandsons.”

“Creating a memorial to Diana has been no easy task,” Elizabeth said. “To present a likeness seemed at best unnecessary for someone whose image continues to exert such a fascination the world over. To find some other way to capture her spirit has been the challenge.”

The $6.6-million fountain, created by American architect Kathryn Gustafson, known for her garden and bridge construction at Costa Mesa’s South Coast Plaza, is a 260-foot-by-165-foot oval ring of granite through which water flows and falls. As a metaphor for Diana’s troubled life, the water passes through different forms, from bubbling brooks to steps, curves and cascades, ending in a reflective pool.

Many people say the fountain would have pleased Diana: a place for children to play, for adults to contemplate and for families to picnic.

Diana’s mother, Frances Shand Kydd, who died last month, had criticized the memorial for having a “lack of grandeur.” Others said the money spent to build it would have better honored Diana’s memory if donated to children’s hospitals.

But the crowd Tuesday was mostly enthusiastic.

“I think it’s absolutely worth it, considering what she gave to humanity. You can’t put a price on that kind of compassion,” said Nicole Hardy, a student from Atlanta.

Although Tuesday’s ceremony had all the appearances of a reconciliation, with the Windsors and Spencers chatting and joking afterward, skeptical royal watchers questioned their sincerity.

Earl Spencer, who had launched a scathing attack on the royals at his sister’s funeral, told reporters at the dedication: “I can honestly say the rift thing has been very much overplayed. There wasn’t really one that needed healing.

“Today was much more about a celebration,” he said.

Hours after the officials departed, the public moved in and children splashed and played in the fountain.