London - The number of visitors to the family home of Princess Diana fell by 5 000 this year, it was confirmed Saturday.
The Althorp estate in Northamptonshire sold 142 000 tickets for its two-month season which ends on Monday, compared to 147 000 last year.
Entrance tickets admit people to the museum in Diana's memory, the house and grounds.
A spokesperson for Earl Spencer, the late princess's brother, said the ticket sales were higher than had been predicted.
She said: "We are very pleased with the response and it shows that Diana is still very much in people's thoughts."
The ticket sale totals have been released ahead of the second anniversary of the princess's death on Tuesday. The estate is due to reopen on July 1 next year. - Sapa-DPA