It should have been a busy Saturday in Watford town centre like any other but Saturday, September 6, 1997 was very different as the nation fell silent to say farewell to a much-loved princess.

These extraordinary photos of a deserted High Street and Harlequin Centre were taken by a Watford Observer photographer on this day 27 years ago – the day of the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales.

The sudden and unexpected death of one of the most popular royals in history in a car crash in Paris on August 31 led to an outpouring of grief across the country unprecedented in modern times.

Shops in the Harlequin shut out of respectShops in the Harlequin shut out of respect (Image: Watford Observer)

Thousands of people lined the route of the funeral cortege from Kensington Palace to Westminster Abbey on September 6, with an average of 32.1 million watching on TV across Britain and an estimated 2 to 2.5 billion globally, making it one of the biggest televised events ever.

Hardly anyone was out in Watford town centreHardly anyone was out in Watford town centre (Image: Watford Observer)

Looking down on the empty food court in the HarlequinLooking down on the empty food court in the Harlequin (Image: Watford Observer)

Charter Place was silentCharter Place was silent (Image: Watford Observer)

A bus stops in Market StreetA bus stops in Market Street (Image: Watford Observer)

A man cycles in High StreetA man cycles in High Street (Image: Watford Observer)

The street would normally have been bustling with Saturday shoppersThe street would normally have been bustling with Saturday shoppers (Image: Watford Observer)