LONG BEACH (CBS) — An exhibit chronicling the British royal family opens Saturday at the Queen Mary, hotel officials announced Thursday.
“Diana: Legacy of a Princess,” is primarily focused on the late Princess Diana, but the exhibit also features memorabilia and artifacts of the royal family, ranging from Queen Mary and King George to Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton.
The exhibit will be on-board the historic ship for at least a year in a new 13,000-square-foot gallery.
The collection includes about 2,000 items gathered over the past three decades that have taken around 30 years to collect.
“We are pleased to find that the image and icon status of Diana is alive and well,” Queen Mary entertainment director Steve Sheldon said.
The Long Beach exhibit marks the first time the artifacts will be shown in their entirety, according to Queen Mary officials.
Some items — such as a hand-carved bench that was a wedding gift to Princess Diana and Prince Charles– are on display for the first time. Ticket holders also will see a ball gown worn by Diana to the America’s Cup Ball, a jeweled evening gown she wore to a Red Cross gala, a cocktail dress the princess wore to private events and other dresses and accessories chosen by Kate Middleton, the Duchess of Cambridge.
Show organizers said they are expecting a large crowd for opening weekend. A portion of the exhibit’s proceeds will go to breast cancer support organizations, including City of Hope.
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