On June 17, 2020, when Deadline reported that Kristen Stewart was cast in Spencer as Princess Diana, people couldn't stop themselves from asking, will the actress be able to justify Diana's character? Will she be able to pull off the style and match the aura the legend had? Will she be able to relate with people the way Diana did, and be bold and caring at the same time?
Andrew Stenning/Mirrorpix/Getty Images | After Spencer was released in the UK, Ken Wharfe, Princess Diana's ex-bodyguard, praised Kristen Stewart for her bang on portrayal of the late royal
Months passed by, the shooting began, and the doubts in people's minds still remained. However, when the movie premiered at the Venice Film Festival for the first time, all doubts turned into praises, and Stewart stole the show.
Recently, when the movie was released in the UK, Stewart was again celebrated by people. But this time, she was called "the best artist who has played Diana to date."
A never-before-seen performance!
Ken Wharfe, who was Diana's bodyguard between the late 1980s to early 1990s, while speaking with People, revealed how Diana felt about staying at Sandringham Palace. Wharfe, who had accompanied Diana at the royal family Christmas holiday there, said he noticed that the place had become a purgatory for her.
As per him, the late royal used to spend most of her time in the kitchen talking with the chef or speaking with other house helps and people like him. She tried her best to distract herself as much as she could so that she could return to London with a sane mind.
Neon/Topic studios | Speaking about Spencer, Wharfe said that by far, the movie succeeded in showing many real aspects of Princess Diana’s life
Ingrid Seward, a royal biographer and a journalist close to Diana, also commented that she used to struggle during family gatherings. Every time the royal family gathered for dinners, lunches, or breakfasts, she used to put on a straight face and do the drill without enjoying any of it. Seward was quoted saying that she was well brought up and didn't want to create any unnecessary scene or make a spectacle out of herself.
Speaking about Spencer, Wharfe said that by far, the movie succeeded in showing many real aspects of Princess Diana’s life, except for the one scene where Diana pours her heart out to her dresser (played by Sally Hawkins). He doubts she ever confided in her dressers. Moving on, Wharfe said that out of all the different artists who’ve played Diana in the past ten years, he never saw anybody replicate the royals' mannerisms in such a perfect way as Stewart did. She did complete justice to her character and revived a lot of memories.
“An Oscar-worthy execution”
When Spencer's teaser was released in August 2021, film critics were in awe of Stewart's performance. Renowned critics like Scott Menzel and Jason Guerrasio commented that the actor is going all for the Oscar glory, and that her accent was bang on!
firo/Sebastian El-Saqqa/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images | When Spencer's teaser was released in August 2021, film critics too were in awe of Stewart's performance
If you've watched the movie, it would be great to hear how your experience was and what stood out for you. But if you haven't, we would suggest you do it right away 'cuz it just might make you a Stewart fan!
