Princess Diana Spencer star Kristen Stewart blames ‘British stiff upper lip’ for Di’s pain

The new movie is creating enormous buzz at the Venice Film Festival but Stewart has had to defend the filmmakers’ intentions. She praised the princess’ unique and special talents but also spoke of her “pain” in a lengthy speech to the gathered press. The actress said: “I think that she was just desperate to reveal some truth in an environment that is steeped in the energy of… as an outsider, I can say the Brits generally have the stiff-upper-lip mentality, that is the go-to generalisation.” It comes hot on the heels of the movie’s composer, Radiohead’s Johhny Greenwood, describing the sinister and oppressive atmosphere of the film, which he says is “like a horror movie.” 

The film is set during the royal family’s Christmas retreat at Sandringham in 1991, portraying it as the pivotal moment when Diana decided to walk away from her marriage.

Greenwood said his score: “needed to describe that situation and describe the oppression she feels in this three days she is in this palace in Sandringham. It’s a bit like a horror film in a way. There are all these sinister servants loitering under stairs and there is this feeling of paranoia and oppression. The music was meant to enhance that.

“It’s not The Crown. There’s lots of claustrophobic handheld camera action following her around and you feel straightaway that this is not as easy a viewing experience as something like The Crown.”

Stewart added: “I think that for her, I look at pictures of her, even just a fleeting little video clip, and I feel like the ground shakes and you don’t know what’s going to happen.

“I think the idea of somebody being so desperate for connection and somebody who’s able to make other people feel so good, feeling so bad on the inside, and being so generous with her energy.

“I just think that we haven’t had very many of those people throughout history. She really sticks out as a sparkly house on fire.”

SPENCER IS OUT IN THE US ON NOVEMBER 5, UK RELEASE DATE TBC