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Kristen Stewart Shares Why She Chose to Come Out During 2017 ‘SNL’ Monologue
Kristen Stewart has had trouble letting Princess Diana go.
Indeed, after portraying the tragic figure in the 2021 film Spencer—which earned her an Academy Award nomination—Kristen admitted the feeling she had during filming of being “haunted” by the late Princess has stuck with her.
“I can’t drive around this city,” Kristen said of London in an interview with The Telegraph published Feb. 5, “and Paris for that matter, without thinking about her. All the love that poured out of this woman… I can cry about her at any moment.”
And it was Diana’s experiences in the public eye—the scrutiny, the speculation and obsession in the media and from the public—that especially resonated with the Twilight alum.
“She was plucked, plucked to death [by paparazzi],” Kristen said. “And her rebellious qualities felt so desperate, and so young and so vulnerable.”
Understanding firsthand how the scrutiny can act as a “kind of soul suck,” Kristen added that by the end of filming, “I did feel a bit like a shell, and I think she did too. That was the point.”
But while her portrayal of Diana would go on to become one of Kristen’s most acclaimed performances, the 35-year-old admitted it took some prodding from director Pablo Larraín for her to finally say yes.
“I told Pablo he was insane and he should probably hire someone else, but he refused to accept that,” she explained. “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?’”
Courtesy of Pablo Larraín
But while she felt the inconsistencies were “pulling [her] under,” Pablo assuaged those fears.
As she recalled, “Pablo was like, ‘You really must detach from those things—this is about spirit.’”
And when she finally stepped onto set in full costume, Kristen was able to embrace Diana’s spirit.
“The clothes were part of the armor,” she explained. “They allowed me to step into her physical space and create images of her in this prison of a castle yet wearing lavish, stunning pieces of clothing. That is a poem in itself.”
And much like Kristen—whose directorial debut The Chronology of Water hit screens in December—is trying to change the entertainment industry and make more room for female filmmakers, Diana left an indelible mark on the British royal family. Read on for more.
Tim Graham/Getty Images
A Progressive Humanitarian
Princess Diana went far against the grain when she advocated for causes previously considered taboo amongst royals, including AIDS research, land mine removal and homelessness in the U.K. She was one of the first public figures to be photographed interacting physically with AIDS victims—a decision that helped destigmatize and lessen the public's fear around the condition.
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New Approach to the Public's Fascination
The paparazzi's role in Princess Diana's tragic passing actually brought the royal family and the press closer than ever before. After her death, the palace made agreements with the British media to ensure photographers wouldn't overstep boundaries in an attempt to satiate public interest. As a result, we see more palace-organized photo calls and greater cooperation on both sides when it comes to balancing privacy and public figuredom.
Jayne Fincher/Princess Diana Archive/Getty Images
A Remarkably Open Book
Perhaps Diana's most extraordinary influence on the royal family was her unprecedented vulnerability in the face of public scrutiny. She openly discussed her struggle with mental health (notably suffering from postpartum depression after giving birth to Prince William), and in her landmark interview with the BBC's Martin Bashir Diana remarked, "Well, maybe I was the first person ever to be in this family who ever had a depression or was ever openly tearful. And obviously that was daunting, because if you've never seen it before how do you support it?"
Years later, William and Harry have kept their mother's legacy alive by launching Heads Together, a campaign that works to change the U.K.'s conversation around mental health and wellbeing.
Tim Graham/Getty Images
Mixing Business With Pleasure
The princess made yet another impact on life behind palace doors by maintaining unusually laid back relationships with the royal staff. Her famously close friendship with butler Paul Burrell captivated headlines, and she reportedly set up play dates for Prince William and Harry with her employees' children. Princess Di also encouraged her sons to participate in the kitchen, which might have inspired Kate Middleton's decision to often prepare home-cooked meals for her family.
Anwar Hussein/Getty Images
Warm Welcome Home
Princess Di flipped the script on traditional royal birthing techniques by welcoming both her children outside Buckingham Palace, where Prince Charles was born decades before. This made Prince William the first future British monarch to be born in a hospital on June 21, 1982. Wills and the Duchess of Cambridge followed suit, welcoming Prince George and Princess Charlotte in the same medical center, St. Mary's in London.
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Parenting as a Royal
Instead of putting her sons on a pedestal like the entire world had already done, Princess Diana made an effort to create a sense of normalcy for William and Harry. Her youngest explained in an interview, "She made the decision that no matter what, despite all the difficulties of growing up in that lime light and on that stage, she was going to ensure that both of us had as normal life as possible. And if that means taking us for a burger every now and then or sneaking us into the cinema, or driving through the country lanes with the roof down in her old school BMW to listen to Enya."
Anwar Hussein/Getty Images
Family That Tours Together, Stays Together
When Diana and Prince Charles were to embark on their official tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1983, she insisted that Wills (then only 10-months-old) would join his parents on the road. Royal children never typically traveled on these trips, but Diana's decision to keep her family together explains why Prince George and Princess Charlotte are now always included on overseas ventures.
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