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24th May 2019

Theme park launches attraction based on Princess Diana’s death

An American theme park has been criticised for launching an attraction based on the death of Princess Diana, who was in a fatal car crash in 1997

Reuben Pinder

An American tabloid has created several attractions based on its biggest stories

The newspaper, National Enquirer, has come under heavy scrutiny after it created a series of attractions based on some of its biggest stories at a theme park in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee.

The theme park has attractions based on stories ranging from the OJ Simpson court case to Princess Diana’s fatal car crash in 1997.

One attraction features a model of Michael Jackson in an oxygen chamber. As visitors walk past the deceased singer, it turns to look at them before going back to sleep. Weird.

The interactive Diana attraction has got the most criticism though, with many saying it is in bad taste given the tragedy of the event.

But attraction manager Robin Turner has put forward her counter argument, telling the Daily Beast: “It shows the pathway as [Diana] left the Ritz hotel, and the paparazzi chasing her, and the bang-flash that we think blinded the driver – and how it happened.”

Park spokesperson Rick Laney has also said he believes the controversial attractions are in the public interest.

“Whether you love the National Enquirer or despise the National Enquirer, it outsold Campbell’s soup,” he told NBC News.

“People are interested in the stories they cover.”

Visitors will then be asked to comment on how they think Diana died and will be introduced to some conspiracy theories. The Royal Family have not issued comment on the issue.

Social media criticism has been scathing, with Paris-based journalist Christopher Dickey saying “turning fake news into a tourist attraction” was “vile”.

https://twitter.com/jamiejangibbs/status/1131893298623406081