Charles Spencer says Kristen Stewart captures Diana’s spirit in ‘Spencer’ despite calling film ‘terrible’

Princess Diana’s younger brother Charles Spencer said Kristen Stewart nailed it in Pablo Larrain’s “Spencer” but called the movie “terrible” during an interview with Tina Brown at a McNally Jackson Books Event. Spencer, whose bombshell memoir “Swan Song: Diana, My Sister” has reignited tensions with the royal family and sparked a legal dispute with Piers […]

In the 27 years since Princess Diana’s death, she’s been portrayed on screen multiple times, by everyone from Naomi Watts to Elizabeth Debicki, who won an Emmy for her efforts.However, according to the late Princess of Wales’ brother, Earl Charles Spencer, there’s one that came closer than anyone else to really capturing her essence.This week, the journalist Tina Brown – who published her own biography of Diana back in 2007 – asked Earl Spencer as part of a Q&A if he thinks there is a “fictional portrayal of Diana” that has “come close to capturing what she was like in real life”.Princess Diana pictured in 1989“I was on a plane and I saw a movie called Spencer,” he recalled. “I thought, ‘I’d better look at that’. And there was Kristen Stewart, who doesn’t really look like Diana, but my goodness, she caught the spirit. I thought it was an incredible performance.”Not pulling any punches, he then quipped: “The film’s terrible. But I was really intrigued by how good she was at capturing Diana.”View this post on InstagramSpencer was released in 2021, and centres around a fictional reimagining of Princess Diana’s last time celebrating Christmas with the Royal Family at Sandringham House.Directed by Pablo Larraín, the film made heavy use of artistic licence, including scenes in which Diana is depicted as being haunted by visions of Anne Boleyn.Kristen Stewart was nominated for an Oscar for her performance as Diana, whose former bodyguard Ken Wharfe called it the “closest to her” he’d ever seen on screen, praising the former Twilight star for managing to “perfect her mannerisms” and voice.Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana in 2021's SpencerElsewhere in the interview, Earl Spencer also made clear that he doesn’t “watch The Crown” and therefore couldn’t “talk about that”.Diana appeared as a character in the fourth, fifth and sixth seasons of Netflix’s regal drama, first played by Emma Corrin, and later by Elizabeth Debicki.The final season of The Crown raised eyebrows upon its release, over scenes in which the late Queen Elizabeth II and King Charles were both visited by Diana’s spirit.READ MORE:Elizabeth Debicki Makes Surprising Admission About The Crown's Divisive Diana 'Ghost' ScenesEarl Spencer Apologises After Piers Morgan Threatens Legal Action Over Diana BookPrincess Diana's Surprising Admission About Rocky Horror To Tim Curry Will Shock You

Charles Spencer, the brother of Princess Diana, recently lauded Kristen Stewart's remarkable portrayal of his sister in Spencer. He felt that although Stewart may not bear a physical resemblance to Diana, her ability to convey Diana's spirit was commendable. Spencer expressed that Stewart truly grasped the emotional depth of his sister's character. However, he was less than impressed with the film itself, describing it as terrible.