A major £3million transformation of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground in Kensington Gardens is approaching completion, with Royal Parks staff recently travelling to Bavaria to inspect the centrepiece wooden galleon before its journey to London.
The west London attraction, which welcomes approximately one million visitors annually and holds the title of Britain's most popular playground, shut its gates in autumn 2025 for extensive refurbishment works.
Located adjacent to Kensington Palace, where the late Princess once resided, the playground is scheduled to welcome families again in summer 2026 with a brand new full-scale wooden ship as its main feature.
The Royal Parks charity confirmed the £3million investment is necessary as existing equipment has reached the end of its operational lifespan.
Princess Diana memorial undergoes £3million update after shutting its gates last year
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Standing 12 metres tall, the replacement galleon will incorporate a tunnel slide, a pair of crow's nests, and a ramped entrance to the main deck, providing wheelchair access.
Beyond the flagship vessel, visitors can look forward to an entirely new treehouse structure, a reimagined water play zone, and dedicated facilities for children under three years old.
These additions aim to enhance the Peter Pan-themed attraction that has captivated young visitors since the playground first opened its doors in 2000.
The impressive new galleon has been taking shape in Frasdorf, a village nestled in the foothills of the Bavarian Alps, where craftsmen from Timberplay and their partners Richter Spielgerate have been constructing the vessel.
Carpenters at work at the Richter Spielgerate workshop in the village of Frasdorf, Germany
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These same German designers were responsible for creating the original Peter Pan-themed ship when the playground launched a quarter of a century ago.
Construction materials include mountain larch timber harvested from sustainably managed alpine forests, chosen specifically for its exceptional durability.
According to the Royal Parks, the extreme growing conditions at high altitude produce wood that develops slowly, resulting in naturally stronger and rot-resistant timber that eliminates any requirement for chemical treatment.
Andy Williams, park manager for Kensington Gardens, told the Press Association: "It really reaches to children's imaginations, it lets them set free in a safe space."
Children playing at the Diana Memorial in Kensington Gardens in 2000
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The ship and other playground equipment are in production for the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Playground
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He emphasised that the redesigned playground remains "in the spirit of Princess Diana, we've kept faithful to that".
Paul Collings, managing director at Timberplay, expressed confidence that the new galleon and treehouse would establish the space as a leading example of public play provision, bringing joy to millions of young visitors for years ahead.
Peter Heuken from Richter Spielgerate, who contributed to the original 2000 design, said: "We are so much in love with the place and the park that I decided, we absolutely want to help redo it."