Kristen Stewart says her connection to Princess Diana didn’t end when the cameras stopped rolling.
More than three years after portraying the late Princess of Wales in Spencer, the actor admits that Diana still lingers in her thoughts – especially when she’s travelling through cities tied to the royal’s life and death.
In a recent interview with The Telegraph, Kristen shared that she was “haunted” by Diana’s presence which feels inescapable at times, describing the experience as something that continues to weigh on her emotionally.
She explained that simply moving through places like London or Paris can stir memories of Diana, whose life and tragic death in 1997 left a lasting mark on the world.
“I still am [haunted by her]. I can’t drive ’round this city, and Paris for that matter, without thinking about her,” she said during the interview. “All the love that poured out of this woman… I can cry about her at any moment,” she added.
The 2021 film Spencer, directed by Pablo Larraín and written by Stephen Knight, reimagined a pivotal Christmas weekend in 1991, as Diana faced the unravelling of her marriage to the then-Prince Charles. Kristen revealed that when Pablo first approached her for the role, she was convinced he’d made a mistake.
“I told Pablo he was insane and he should probably hire someone else, but he refused to accept that. There were some massive distinctions between her and me. It was the statuesque thing. It was the eye color – I have green eyes; she has very famously blue eyes that match her ring. So I was like, ‘Should we make the engagement ring green, then?'” she shared.
But Pablo’s trust in her paid off. Kristen’s performance earned widespread praise and led to her first Academy Award nomination for Best Actress in 2022.
Looking back, Kristen believes Pablo recognised a shared understanding between her and Diana – particularly when it came to life under relentless public scrutiny.
Kristen spoke candidly about how paparazzi attention can erode a person from the inside out, drawing parallels between her own experiences with fame and Diana’s. She described Diana as fiercely rebellious yet deeply fragile, overwhelmed by a level of exposure that felt inescapable.
By the end of filming, Kristen said she felt emotionally drained and hollowed out in a way that mirrored what she believes Diana herself endured.
In previous comments to People magazine, Kristen reflected on Diana’s rare ability to make others feel seen and comforted, even during periods of intense personal pain. She said attempting to embody that quality changed her.
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