Princess Diana memorial playground to finally reopen tomorrow following £3million makeover - 26 years after row over Royal Family not turning up overshadowed its debut

The £3 million playground built in memory of Diana, the late Princess of Wales, is set to reopen on Wednesday 5 August, The Royal Parks charity announced.The play area, located in London's Kensington Gardens, first opened in 2000 to commemorate the royal, who resided nearby at Kensington Palace.At the time, the Royal Family faced criticism for failing to attend, with then-chancellor Gordon Brown left to open it alongside Diana's brother Earl Spencer.Diana, who died in 1997 in a car crash in Paris, loved to walk in the park which dates back to the 18th century.Now, after more than two decades of play, the Peter Pan-inspired wonderland has undergone a complete overhaul, with several of its most popular features - including the iconic wooden sailing ship - replaced after reaching the end of their lifespan.Before closing for the revamp, the free attraction welcomed more than one million visitors a year, making it one of the UK's most popular playgrounds.Children returning to the nearly two-acre site will experience a brand new 17-metre by 12-metre Galleon ship on a sandy beach, complete with two crow's nests, a tunnel slide, play telescope and hidden spaces - including a kitchen - below deck.The park will also feature a Treehouse of Dreams that boasts three towers visitors can climb, a thrilling four-metre tunnel slide and an accessible walkway lined with talk tubes, musical instruments and immersive games like tic-tac-toe. The £3 million playground built in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales , is set to reopen on Wednesday 5 August, The Royal Parks charity announced Children returning to the nearly two-acre site will experience a brand new 17-metre by 12-metre Galleon ship on a sandy beach The Peter Pan-inspired wonderland has undergone a complete overhaulJust in time for a long month of August sun, the revamped playground also includes a larger water play area featuring a giant crocodile sculpture where children can control the flow of the water. Younger visitors, meanwhile, now have a redesigned play space that offers timber houses, mini play ships and a large sandpit. Accessibility has been a major focus of the refurbishment, with wheelchair-accessible spaces in both the galleon and treehouse, a new accessible path, raised play tables, sensory planting, upgraded musical features and more interactive play. Sustainability is also at the heart of the new park, with timber sourced from sustainably managed forests across Europe and a new water play system that collects runoff water for irrigation. The playground's toilets have also been upgraded, now boasting nearly twice as many toilets and two accessible cubicles. Ahead of the official reopening, pupils from nearby St Mary Abbots School were invited to test out the new equipment.Andy Williams, Park Manager for Kensington Gardens, said: 'We know that children across London, the UK and the world have been eagerly awaiting the reopening of this playground, and we can’t wait to see their reactions when they visit. 'We know they will absolutely love it. 'This playground has been thoughtfully designed so that children of all abilities and interests can find something that appeals to them. 'Children can once again splash, swing, climb and hide in this almost two-acre playground set amongst sub-tropical planting.'The Royal Parks charity has warned the attraction is likely to be especially busy over the coming weeks as schools remain closed for the six-week holidays. Inside and outside the Galleon, there are two crow's nests, a tunnel slide, play telescope and hidden spaces - including a kitchen - below deck The revamped playground also includes a larger water play area featuring a giant crocodile sculpture where children can control the flow of the water The park will also feature a Treehouse of Dreams that boasts three towers visitors can climb Sustainability is also at the heart of the new park, with timber sourced from sustainably managed forests across Europe Accessibility has been a major focus of the refurbishment, with wheelchair-accessible spaces in both the galleon and treehouse, a new accessible path, raised play tables, sensory planting, upgraded musical features and more interactive playThe playground has a capacity of 450 people, meaning visitors ought to be prepared for lengthy queues, particularly at weekends. Williams added: 'We want to manage expectations and help people plan ahead. 'There are 13 other playgrounds to visit across the Royal Parks, plus lots of family events so if you get to this playground and don’t want to wait, please check out The Royal Parks website for what else might be going on.' When the playground opened in 2000, the Royal Family were accused of insensitivity after none of them attended the ceremony amid claims they had prior engagements.The Daily Mail splashed a story about the row on July 1, 2000 with the headline: 'How can they snub Diana? 'Shame' as Royals miss Princess memorial opening.'Buckingham Palace said at the time that Charles was in Dorchester, Queen Elizabeth II was in Scotland and Princes Harry and William both declined an offer to attend.The memorial was instead opened by then-chancellor Gordon Brown and Royal Parks Minister Alan Howarth.Diana's brother Earl Spencer also attended with his children, but insisted he was not upset by the lack of royals.He said at the time: 'People came who wanted to come and it was a happy occasion. One of my sisters did not want to come because she thought she would be overcome by the emotion of it all - it's very difficult.'Diana's close friend Rosa Monckton and her five-year-old daughter Domenica Lawson, Diana's godchild, also helped open the playground.Ms Monckton said of the royals at the time: 'I think it is very sad that they are unable to be here. I know that some of them were invited and I think it is a shame they are not here.'The playground cost £1.7million to build and was based on a Peter Pan theme because JM Barrie, who created the famous children's story, funded a playground on the site in 1906.