Threading a royal connection

A dinner theater named for the creepy flying monkeys in “The Wizard of Oz’’ has broken out a display of 14 dresses worn by Princess Diana, drawing a steady flow of devotees of Di-morabilia.

“For me, having followed her life, it was important to be here,’’ said Diana Burdette, of Dorchester, N.H., who was one of a crowd of about two dozen Diana fans who showed up at the 11 a.m. tour yesterday, the second day of the exhibition, with her daughter-in-law and 4-year-old granddaughter. “Which girl doesn’t dream of being a princess?’’

The exhibit, to Diana fans, is more than an assortment of clothing worn by a long-deceased regal celebrity. They said the collection provided a connection to the mother of Prince William, who has made her a very large part of Friday’s ceremony — the engagement ring he presented Kate Middleton once belonged to Princess Diana.

“As a mother, I think about the fact that his moth er will not be there,’’ said Anne Nix, of Belmont, N.H. “His mother was such a great influence.’’

Perhaps cementing Plymouth’s unexpected status as New England’s go-to spot for royal wedding events, the venue — The Flying Monkey Movie House and Performance Center — is hosting a royal wedding viewing party Friday at 4:30 a.m. Named for its owner’s role as one of the flying monkeys in a stage production of “The Wizard of Oz,’’ the place has asked attendees to don formal wear — perhaps fitting for a viewing held in the presence of the black silk velvet dress Diana wore in her official royal portrait.

The collection belongs to Maureen Dunkel, who bought the 14 dresses at an auction held by Christie’s shortly before Diana died in 1997.

Soon after the car crash that claimed Diana’s life, Dunkel, influenced by the outpouring of “global Dianamania,’’ created an exhibit, which has been shown, among other places, in Downtown Disney, Branson, Mo., and Kensington Palace. After 14 years, Dunkel has decided to sell the collection, so she has brought it to Plymouth for one final viewing in the United States. She chose the town because it is not far from her family’s vacation home in Holderness.

That means this is the last chance to gaze upon the ink blue silk velvet dress in which Princess Diana twirled with John Travolta on the White House floor during a 1985 state dinner; or the long dinner dress and tail coat of burgundy velvet that turned heads at the premiere of “Steel Magnolias’’ in 1990; or the “diaphanous midi-length evening dress in white silk chiffon’’ that characterized the floaty, flouncy outfits of Diana’s early years.

“The dresses tell the story of the evolution of her life,’’ Dunkel said. “I wanted to give a balanced picture, the good, the bad, and the ugly of her life.’’

A film accompanying the exhibit details not just the magic of her early years as princess but also her squabbles with the royal family, her battle with bulimia, the scandal that surrounded Diana’s separation and divorce from Prince Charles.

“But those things made her so easy to relate to for so many people, which ultimately drove her popularity,’’ Dunkel said.

Visitors also learn that the young Diana had a Guinea pig named Peanut, and that she was an average student who referred to her herself as “thick.’’

Pictures and movies depicting the “most photographed woman in history’’ also show Diana in her many philanthropic activities, from work with ailing children to projects to remove mines from conflict zones all over the world.

“She leveraged her royal status for people who needed help,’’ said Dunkel, adding that a portion of the proceeds from the tours, which will be held until May 8, will be donated to the Cinderella Project, a charity that procures formal wear for needy young women.

The presence of such a collection in Plymouth has surprised more than a few visitors. Even Cindy Bates, a manager at the Flying Monkey, said she had originally thought it odd that the place had been chosen to host the collection.

But Bates, who recalled crying as she watched the coverage of Diana’s death, said she was pleasantly surprised when she arrived at work yesterday and saw the exhibit for the first time.

“It makes you feel closer to her,’’ Bates said. “It makes you feel like she is alive.’’

David Filipov can be reached at filipov@globe.com.