People want to see the continuation of Diana's charitable work

Diana Memorial Charity Fund Set Up

Public pressure to do something in recognition of Princess Diana's charity work has resulted in an official fund being set up in her memory.

Buckingham Palace said the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund would be co-ordinated and administered at Kensington Palace - which was her London home.

Details of the allocation of funds and which charities will benefit would be decided in due course, a Palace spokesman said.

The decision to establish a memorial fund was taken after the Princess's charities were inundated with offers of cash help as a sign of respect following her death.

Diana/AIDS patient
The Princess meeting an AIDS patient
She was patron of six organisations:

Centrepoint (for the young homeless)
The English National Ballet
Great Ormond Street Children's Hospital, London
The Leprosy Mission
The National Aids Trust
The Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Trust

In addition, the princess was closely associated with the British Red Cross Anti-Personnel Land Mines Campaign.

Nigel Slater, director of fund-raising at the Leprosy Mission, said he was "absolutely delighted" at the move.

"We had been planning to meet with the other five charities of which the princess was patron or president to discuss ways in which we could co-ordinate the response. People will now know where they can send donations.

"A tremendous number of people have been ringing us asking how they can help as part of the outpouring of emotion. People want to know how they can respond," Mr Slater said.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman said donations to the fund could be made by cheque to: