London - The museum set up on the Spencer family estate in central England to commemorate Diana Princess of Wales is to close, as ticket sales have fallen sharply, the Times reported on Friday.
Diana's brother Earl Charles Spencer had taken the decision to close the exhibition of artefacts linked to Diana's life at the end of this summer, seven years after her death, the newspaper said.
The earl is reported to have mentioned his intention to a guest at the inauguration by the queen this week of a fountain in memory of the princess in London's Hyde Park.
The memorial display at the Althorp estate in Northamptonshire is held in six rooms in a converted stable block. It chronicles Diana's childhood, her marriage to Prince Charles and her charity work.
The exhibition drew 150 000 visitors in the first two years after opening in 1998, but by last year numbers had fallen to 80 000, each paying an admission charge of £10.50 (about R100).
Diana, who died in a 1997 Paris motor accident, lies buried on an island in a lake on the grounds of Althorp. Her grave has never been open to the general public. - Sapa-DPA