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Villagers fear Diana's death will forever change their towns
Althorp, Great Brington may never be tranquil again
September 4, 1997
Web posted at: 9:22 p.m. EDT (0122 GMT)ALTHORP, England (CNN) -- From the time of Shakespeare, this serene little village in central England has been the country seat of the Spencer family.
The estate and the 121-room Althorp House that dominate the village were built on the wool trade, and the house is one of the more distinguished of its kind in all of England.
CNN's Bill Delaney reports
2 min., 18 sec. VXtreme streaming video
But it is not Althorp House or the wool trade that has suddenly filled the narrow lanes of Althorp and neighboring Great Brington with mourners, tourists and journalists.
It is the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, the former Diana Spencer, who grew up in Althorp and whose death last Sunday has turned this area in central England into an overnight shrine.
Day after day, mourners leave flowers at the gates of the estate and pray for the princess and her companion, Dodi Al Fayed, who died with her.
"They're looking down," says one woman. "I actually believe that she's up there, looking down. That's my belief. She can see us all putting these flowers here."
The outpouring of emotion over Princess Diana's death has raised concern here in the scenic hills of Northamptonshire about her legacy.
'There will be enormous anxiety'
In Great Brington, where Diana will be buried in the family vault of a 13th century church, there is growing concern that things may never be the same.
This community has what was voted the nation's best-kept churchyard. Now, many fear that the tranquility -- and cleanliness -- may be forever compromised, and perhaps for good reason.
The village was swarming Thursday with tourists and journalists. A helicopter hovered overhead. Cameramen set up on the main street and shot footage. Journalists with pads and pens cornered likely looking locals, hoping for a new angle on the Diana saga.
Sue Thompson, who gave tours at the Althorp Estate for nearly a decade, is among those who find all the attention disquieting.
"There will be enormous anxiety," she said, "a great deal of anxiety and concern. And I think it's going to change the life of this village completely."
And a psychiatrist says that those who are devoted to Diana are not likely to fade away.
"Horrific deaths make (an) impact, because they are so out of the ordinary, so startling, and because they happen to people who are beautiful and young," said Dr. Dora Black.
Diana's life is the stuff of which legends are made. Her death, to the chagrin of local residents, is the sort of thing that may inspire pilgrimages to Althorp and Great Brington for decades to come.
Correspondent Bill Delaney contributed to this report.
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