Admirers of the late Princess Diana gathered outside Kensington Palace on Friday, a bright sunny day that would have been the troubled royal's 50th birthday.
Cards, a cake, a collage and other mementos were among the gifts left at the gates of Kensington Palace, where Diana once lived — an echo of the massive, makeshift memorial set up there following her 1997 death in a Paris car crash.
"She would've been so popular still. Everyone would have been here to help celebrate," said Kathy Martin, a 49-year-old childcare worker from Australia. "We'll never get to see her grow old."
Martin was one of several hardcore Diana loyalists at the gates — a testament to the hold the princess still has on many fans. They were joined by passers-by, tourists and other admirers, many of whom left cards.
Martin said it was probably because Diana died young — at only 36 — that she and others were still so drawn to her story.
John Loughrey, a 56-year-old who attends just about every Diana-themed event, was the man behind the custom-made cake bearing her name in pink. He said Diana was "just like a magnet."
"The press followed her everywhere and the people followed her everywhere," he said. "Diana's still here in spirit."