Princess Diana’s former London apartment is now an official tourist site

(CNN) — The London apartment where Diana Spencer lived before she became the Princess of Wales has been commemorated with an official blue plaque.

The plaque was posted on the Coleherne Court building on Old Brompton Street in Kensington on September 29 following a successful campaign led by the London Assembly.

“Diana had, and still has, a very special place in the hearts of Londoners and we are thrilled to see her blue plaque formally placed as a monument to her work for others,” said Andrew Boff, chair of the London Assembly, during the unveiling ceremony.

The plaque reads: “Lady Diana Spencer, later Princess of Wales, lived here 1979-1981.”

The two years Diana spent in Flat 60, Coleherne Court, were formative ones. She purchased the apartment with money inherited from her great-grandmother. The price was £50,000 ($67,000).

Diana moved to London at age 18 and worked as a nanny and at a kindergarten. She began dating Prince Charles, heir to the British throne in 1980, and they were engaged a year later.

As her public profile grew, Coleherne Court was regularly besieged by photographers who hoped to capture pictures of the future princess. After Diana got engaged to Prince Charles, her mother had the apartment sold. It is still a private residence today.

“Her troubled marriage to Prince Charles and later relationships were the subject of fevered and intrusive press coverage, but she won a lasting reputation outside her personal life for her extensive charity and humanitarian work.”

These plaques are placed on buildings in England that are connected to important historical figures and are maintained by English Heritage. “Blue plaque spotting” is a popular hobby for sightseers and history buffs.

Notable figures do not need to be British in order to be honored with a plaque. Foreigners who spent time living in the U.K., like Mahatma Gandhi and Emile Zola, have also been acknowledged.

There are some 950 blue plaques in London alone.