Inside the Vegas exhibition paying tribute to Princess Di & her LGBTQ+ allyship
This Vegas gem is a must-see for gays and Anglophiles alike.
Mark
When you picture Las Vegas, you probably see casinos, bars, late nights, and large crowds — a scene that couldn’t be more disparate from the British Royal Family. But surprisingly, one of the most impressive stateside collections dedicated to their history (and the People’s Princess herself) lives on the top floor of a building on The Strip.
Tucked away toward the ceilings of The Shops at Crystal (and next to a randomly wild recreation of The Sistine Chapel, because this is Vegas, after all), Princess Diana & The Royals: The Exhibition is an Anglophile’s dream.
Throughout its sprawling floor plan, the tragic story of the late and enchanting Princess of Wales comes to life via more than 700 authentic Royal artifacts, an award-winning audio tour guide, and most gasp-worthy, seven of her evening gowns on display.
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While fashion steals the show, not a single page of Diana’s story — and later in the museum, the Royal Family that preceded and proceeded her — is left uncovered.
The exhibition makes use of childhood books, wedding cake boxes, satirical greeting cards, and even a recreation of her wedding gown and its 25-foot train, to painting a rich, and at times, tearjerking, portrait of her complicated life.
An outsider to the world she married into, a trailblazer, and a fighter despite it all, Diana has long resonated with the LGBTQ+ community. Accordingly, one of the most moving walls is dedicated to Sir Elton John’s powerful tribute, “Candle in the Wind 1997.”
Between the red throned photo ops, detailed placards, and homages to her iconic red sheep sweater, visitors are sure to laugh, cry, and fully understand why the exhibition was once voted Las Vegas’ Best Daytime Attraction.
(And yes, you can purchase her famed Virgin Airlines sweatshirt to wear with your own biker shorts in the gift shop.)
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Of course, Diana’s legacy revolves around charity and compassion as much as it does her proclivity to bucking norms — and making iconic fashion choices. (Rest assured, the divorce dress gets its own moment.)
In a section of the exhibition entitled “In Service of Kindness,” a timeline documents some of the princess’ most notable achievements as a humanitarian, including her 1992 meeting with Mother Teresa, a letter she wrote to a man struggling with bulimia, and one history-making visit to London’s Middlesex Hospital in 1987.
At a time when misinformation and prejudice around HIV/AIDS were at an all-time peak, Diana opened the “UK’s first purpose built HIV/AIDS unit,” and famously shook the hand of a male HIV-positive patient. Without gloves. In front of the media.
The moment, where the Princess of Wales showed compassion and love to an LGBTQ+ person in need, created major waves in attitudes around AIDS around the world. And while this one particular handshake is oft cited, it was hardly her only act of solidarity and kindness to the HIV-positive community.
As one of her quotes on the wall reminds visitors: “I knew what my job was: to go out and meet people and love them.”
Learn more Princess Diana & The Royals: The Exhibition here.
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