Kristen Stewart Says She’s Haunted by Princess Diana After Playing Her

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Kristen Stewart has had trouble letting Princess Diana go. 

Kristen Stewart has said that playing Princess Diana in the 2021 film Spencer – a role that earned her an Oscar nomination – left her feeling haunted, and that feeling has lingered even after filming ended.

In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Kristen shared that being in cities like London and Paris always makes her think of a special someone. She explained, “I can cry about her at any moment,” highlighting the powerful impact this person had on her and the overwhelming love she felt.

As a longtime fan, what really struck me about Diana’s story was how she dealt with being constantly watched and judged. The intense media attention and public fascination with her life – all the speculation and obsession – really hit home. It’s something I’ve always connected with, especially as someone who also experienced a lot of that while working on Twilight.

Kristen described the intense media attention as having ‘plucked her to death,’ meaning it relentlessly wore her down. She also felt that the public perception of the late Princess Diana’s rebellious side came across as a plea for help, highlighting her youth and fragility.

Kristen explained that the intense public attention felt draining, describing it as a “kind of soul suck.” By the end of filming, she felt emotionally empty, and believed her character felt the same way – which was intentional.

I’ve always been a huge fan of Kristen Stewart, and I thought she absolutely nailed her performance as Diana. It’s easily one of her best roles, but apparently, she needed a little convincing from director Pablo Larraín before she agreed to take it on. He really had to encourage her, which is surprising given how perfectly she embodied the Princess!

I told Pablo he was being unreasonable and should consider working with someone else, but he wouldn’t listen. He kept comparing me to her, pointing out how different we were – she’s tall and striking, and has very noticeable blue eyes that match her engagement ring. I even joked that maybe we should get a green ring instead, to match my eyes.

But while she felt the inconsistencies were “pulling [her] under,” Pablo assuaged those fears.

As she recalled, “Pablo was like, ‘You really must detach from those things—this is about spirit.’”

And when she finally stepped onto set in full costume, Kristen was able to embrace Diana’s spirit. 

She explained that the clothing wasn’t just decoration, but helped her connect with the subject and visualize her within the castle. The contrast between the restrictive setting and the beautiful clothes felt meaningful, almost like a piece of art.

Just as Kristen, with her first film The Chronology of Water released in December, aims to create more opportunities for women in filmmaking, Diana profoundly impacted the British royal family. Read on to learn more.

Princess Diana was a trailblazer who championed causes that were rarely addressed by the royal family, such as AIDS research, removing land mines, and helping people experiencing homelessness in the U.K. She was among the first public figures to be seen openly comforting people with AIDS, which played a significant role in reducing stigma and public fear surrounding the illness.

Ironically, Princess Diana’s death actually led to a stronger relationship between the royal family and the press. Following the tragedy, the palace and British media reached an understanding to respect boundaries and avoid overly aggressive photography. This has resulted in more officially arranged photo opportunities and improved cooperation in finding a balance between the public’s interest and the royal family’s privacy.

As a longtime admirer of Princess Diana, I always felt her greatest impact on the royal family was how openly she dealt with her personal struggles. She wasn’t afraid to talk about her mental health – she even shared her experience with postpartum depression after William’s birth – which was unheard of at the time. I remember being deeply moved by her famous interview with Martin Bashir, where she poignantly asked, “Maybe I was the first person in this family ever to experience depression or be openly emotional. And it was scary, because how do you offer support when no one has ever dealt with that before?” It felt revolutionary, and it truly changed how we all thought about the royal family and mental wellbeing.

As someone who’s followed the royal family for years, it’s truly inspiring to see how Prince William and Prince Harry have honored their mother’s memory. They created Heads Together, a fantastic initiative that’s really shifted the way we talk about mental health and wellbeing here in the U.K. It’s about opening up the conversation and making it okay to ask for help, and I think that’s a beautiful tribute to Princess Diana’s compassionate spirit.

Princess Diana continued to change life within the royal palace by forging unusually friendly relationships with the staff. Her well-known closeness with butler Paul Burrell often made headlines, and she apparently arranged playdates between Prince William and Harry and the children of palace employees. Princess Di also encouraged her sons to spend time in the kitchen, a practice that may have influenced Kate Middleton’s habit of cooking meals for her own family.

Princess Diana broke with royal tradition when she chose to have both of her children outside of Buckingham Palace – a contrast to where Prince Charles was born years earlier. This meant Prince William became the first future British king born in a hospital, on June 21, 1982. Prince William and his wife, the Duchess of Cambridge, continued this practice, welcoming Prince George and Princess Charlotte at the same London hospital, St. Mary’s.

Rather than treating her sons like royalty as everyone else did, Princess Diana focused on giving William and Harry a normal upbringing. As Harry explained, she was determined to provide them with as much normalcy as possible, despite the challenges of growing up in the public eye. This meant simple things like taking them for burgers, sneaking them into the movies, or driving around in her old BMW with the top down, listening to Enya.

In 1983, Princess Diana surprised many by insisting her baby son, Prince William, join her and Prince Charles on their official tour of Australia and New Zealand. Traditionally, royal children didn’t accompany their parents on these trips. However, Diana’s desire to keep her family together paved the way for Prince George and Princess Charlotte to now regularly join their parents on overseas engagements.

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2026-02-05 19:17