Diana Memorial Fountain stays dry amid prolonged technical fault

Dhaka: The Diana Memorial Fountain in London’s Hyde Park has remained closed throughout the summer after a series of technical problems disrupted its water supply.

Royal Parks, which manages the capital’s parks, has apologized to visitors, particularly as London has experienced extended periods of hot weather when the memorial is traditionally a popular spot for cooling off.

The GBP 3.6 million fountain was opened in 2004 in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in 1997. The memorial was officially inaugurated by Queen Elizabeth II.

The latest shutdown began after a mechanical failure affected the pump responsible for drawing water from a local borehole. Although the pump was repaired, a separate software failure prevented the system from being restarted.

Royal Parks publicly announced the closure on July 1 and said specialist teams were continuing to work on the problem. Officials now expect the fountain to resume operation within the next few weeks.

The water network supplying the memorial also serves other sites within the Royal Parks, adding to the maintenance challenges.

The fountain has experienced previous closures. Shortly after opening, it was temporarily shut after visitors slipped while paddling. It was also closed for four months in 2005 for renovation work to address flooding and drainage problems, while a blocked drain caused another shutdown the following summer.