Buckingham Palace and other royal residences have stopped the sale of postcards bearing Diana's image in line with their rule dictating that only cards featuring current members of the royal family should be sold.
The move comes despite predictions that the postcards of Diana - who was killed in a tragic Paris car crash on August 31, 1997 - would be hugely popular as the country approaches the 10th anniversary of her death.
It has been suggested by critics that the royal family were uncomfortable with the prospect of the Diana cards outselling those featuring her former mother-in-law Queen Elizabeth.
Alan Berry, co-founder of the Diana Appreciation Society, reacted to the decision with dismay.
He told Britain's Daily Express newspaper: 'Many people who visit Buckingham Palace and the other royal residences are still big Diana fans. I would have thought it would have been a big money-spinner for them.' A spokeswoman for the Royal Collection, which runs the souvenir shops at the royal residences, said: 'We do stock some Diana memorabilia, particularly books. It's just the postcards that we don't sell. We have this rule that we only stock postcards of current members of the British Royal Family.' The anniversary of Diana's death will be marked with two events. The princess' sons Princes William and Harry have organised a commemorative concert at London's Wembley Stadium on July 1, and the royal family will attend a memorial service on August 31.