Fans vow to keep Diana's memory alive as tributes pile up at Kensington Palace

A large floral display spelling out Diana's name is now the centrepiece of the hundreds of cards, flowers, pictures and candles marking the 20th anniversary of her death.

Hundreds of well-wishers have been flocking to the palace's gates and, just like William and Harry, have stopped to look at the photographs of the Princess and read the poignant messages.

Self-confessed Diana superfan John Loughrey began assembling the tributes a number of days ago along with others, and in the early hours of the morning lit a candle at the time Diana was said to have died following a car crash in Paris.

Mr Loughrey, who also took a large cake decorated with Diana's image to the gates, said: "As Prince William has said, we must keep her memory alive.

"I was very, very touched when Prince William and Prince Harry came to the golden gates and looked at the tributes and pointed at the pictures and pointed at the banner."

The 20th anniversary of Diana's death has attracted broadcasters from across the globe who have been interviewing the Princess's fans and making live reports with the gates as a backdrop.

Mr Loughrey added: "I've been coming here for 20 years. Diana was a very special woman; when she came on the scene in 1980 I knew she was special.

"You could put her in a room, you could be a bad mood, she would turn on like a light switch and she'd bring sunshine to everyone and you'd light up.

"Her legacy she's left behind is without a doubt her two sons, and she's left it to them to continue her good works."

Dickie Arbiter, a former press secretary to the Queen who worked for Charles and Diana, was interviewed in the shadow of the Princess's former home and described how her influence lives on.

He said: "Diana's legacy is William and Harry. That's it, they're carrying on her work. She was a brilliant parent, Charles was a brilliant parent.

"They got the best of both worlds, the high street from Diana and they got the countryside and environment from their dad.

"So they're well-rounded, well capable of doing what is required of them, and they are her legacy, they're carrying on her work."

Diana has been described as a boss who was appreciative of her staff and liked to celebrate their birthdays personally, something Mr Arbiter said he experienced.

The former royal aide said: "I worked with Diana for about five years very closely, I first met her over a cup of tea with her and the Prince of Wales three days before the wedding, so I pretty much knew her.

"She was good, she was good at her job, a brilliant parent, Charles was a brilliant parent. But I suppose I remember the personal touch - she gave me a 50th birthday party in her apartment.

"A lunch with party poppers and helium balloons in 1990, she pulled out all the stops. There was a birthday cake in the shape of the old brick phone, on top was inscribed in icing 'You're never alone when Dickie's got his phone' because I always had a mobile phone wherever we went."

Diana fan Kathy Martin was creating picture collages of the Princess as the crowds flocked to the Kensington Palace gates.

She said: "She was a beautiful young princess that should never have left this world, and now I'm so sad that she's gone.

"I do this to keep her memory alive and by doing this the boys sort of appreciate us, because we think of their mother in such a sensitive way by making this beautiful tribute."

Ms Martin, originally from Australia, but now living in Beckenham, south-east London, said on the day Diana died she was woken by a phone call from her sister back home telling her the terrible news.

She added: "I didn't believe her, so turned the radio on and there was eerie music playing. That didn't convince me so I turned the TV on and thought 'Oh my God' and I was crying my eyes out.

"It's silly, well, it's not silly really because I felt like I her knew her."