The moment Kristen Stewart found out she was going to play Princess Diana in Spencer, she dove headfirst into research. In addition to watching shows like The Crown and devouring biographies, she also paid close attention to the Princess of Wales’ relationships with her children, Princes William and Harry. Now, ahead of the film's release, Stewart is revealing more of her acting process when it comes to the late royal's famous progeny.
Princess Diana’s beloved sons were a major part of her life. So in order to accurately portray her in a film about her family, it’s only natural that Kristen Stewart would delve into their background. The Windsors were often in the public eye, making it easy to study their social interactions. In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actress described Diana’s relationship with her children:
The whole thing about watching her, within that space when her children are close to her, it's a nucleus. It's a three-headed animal, sort of an unstoppable beast.
Any mother would feel protective of her children, but that went double for the late philanthropist. Princes Harry and William were so often the subject of intense media scrutiny, and she tried to shield them from the brunt of it. However, she also seemed very happy when she went out with them, which differed from her somber mien in some other childless appearances alongside then-husband Prince Charles. Kristen Stewart acknowledged the royal's maternal side, as well as the importance of treating her filial relationships with respect. She said:
...You don't want to mess with moms, you just don't do that. I think [Diana] feels so embodied and so unconditionally herself when she is with her kids. In all of the research, that I was like, 'Man, that is what we are protecting here...I felt like I absorbed her and then trusted the script.
While the Twilight alum isn't a mother herself, she does relate to the emotions associated with the task. After all, part of being an actor is empathizing with people who have had different experiences and imagining how one would feel in that given situation. The star further explained:
I mean, I'm a kid of a parent. I do know what it feels like, that exchange. I can’t say with certainty that I know what it feels like to be a mother. But I have, you know, I have all the natural feelings. I am human.
Kristen Stewart’s performance as Princess Diana is already drawing praise from numerous sources, so it seems like her hard work will pay off. You can decide for yourself when Spencer arrives in theaters on November 5. Audiences have high hopes for her work as they also do for her co-stars: Sally Hawkins (The Shape of Water), Timothy Spall (The Harry Potter series), and Jack Farthing (The Lost Daughter).
