A new line of precision has emerged over the upcoming Spencer film, starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, with real experts labeling it inaccurate because it takes place on a weekend in Sandringham that never happened.
It was revealed in June last year that the Twilight actress, 30, would represent the deceased royal in a film that dramatized a few “critical” days at Norfolk’s estate in the early 1990s, when Diana decided that her marriage to Prince Charles would not it wasnt working.
Here are the moments when the Princess of Wales realized that she “needed to deviate from a path that put her on the line to one day be queen”, and is said to occur during one of Diana’s last Christmases at the Windsor House in Sandringham .
But, according to the royal biographers Robert Jobson and Ingrid Seward, Diana stopped visiting the property before the period when the drama takes place.
Royal experts rated Spencer’s next film, starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, as “inaccurate” because it takes place on a weekend in Sandringham that never happened
Robert added that Diana had already made the decision about her marriage ‘years before’, while Ingrid pointed out that the princess ‘never wanted a divorce’.
It follows widespread criticism of Netflix’s drama, The Crown, which saw politicians, experts and friends of the royal family asking for a warning to alert viewers that the program distorts the truth. Friends of senior royalty, including Prince Charles, even accused him of “trolling the Hollywood budget”.
Speaking on The Royal Beat on True Royalty TV, Robert said: ‘I don’t even think she was there that weekend. She wasn’t even in Sandringham this supposed weekend.
“The film will suggest that this is where the decision to divorce was made, but she never made that decision. I didn’t think she was in Sandringham after 1990 and it was set in 1991. ‘
Ingrid added: ‘The film is based on three days in Sandringham, and in the period it is based, Diana would no longer go to Sandringham.
A long time ago: It was revealed in June last year that the Twilight actress, 30, would represent the deceased royal in a film that dramatizes a ‘critical’ weekend in the early 1990s, when Diana decided her marriage to the Prince Charles was not working
‘It will probably just show what life was like at Sandringham, which would be very interesting for a lot of people to see. It has a good configuration. ‘
Spencer’s script was written by Steven Knight, who worked on Peaky Blinders, so Robert predicted that the film will be ‘explosive and rock n roll’.
Like The Crown, the latest series from which it was labeled a ‘spiteful attack on the royal family, making them look like inept idiots’ by Angela Levin, author of Harry: Biography of a Prince, Robert suggested that this film will also mix fact with fiction .
“I think it’s a shame, because there’s so much out there that we know it’s true, but they need that scope to be able to do a fictional drama like this,” he said.
Kristen, 30, left, said she hadn’t been excited about a role in a long time before playing Princess Diana (in 1994)
Ingrid agreed, adding: ‘Why make fiction when the fact is really more interesting?’
The announcement that Kristen, born in Los Angeles, won the role instead of a British actress was greeted with fury, but many commented on her incredible resemblance to the late princess in an image released this week.
Chilean filmmaker Pablo Larraín defended his decision to cast the American star, saying Deadline: ‘Kristin is one of the greatest actresses today.’
He added: ‘Kristen can be many things, and she can be very mysterious and very fragile and, ultimately, very strong too, which is what we need.’
The troubled wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana will be the subject of the new film (pictured above in Sicily, British royal tour in Italy in 1985)
“The combination of these elements made me think of it. The way she responded to the script and how she is approaching the character is very beautiful to see. I think she is going to do something impressive and intriguing at the same time. ‘
In October, Kristen admitted that she is nervous about taking on the role in the new Spencer film, especially the task of mastering the late princess’ accent.
In an interview with InStyle, the actress said she was not “as excited to play a role … in a long time”.
She added: ‘In terms of research, I did two and a half biographies, and I’m finishing all the material before actually going to make the film … It’s one of the saddest stories ever, and I don’t want to just play Diana – I want to know it implicitly. ‘
The Royal Beat is available from January 30 on True Royalty TV.
Actresses who played Princess Diana
Naomi Watts as Princess Diana in the 2013 film Diana
Naomi Watts in Diana (2013)
British-Australian actress Naomi Watts played the famous Princess of Wales in the 2013 film Diana, which was ridiculed by critics of the time. “Diana may have been imperfect, scheming and hungry for love, but this film does not help to explain that. Nor does it illuminate the common touch and the humanitarian side that made it dear to a global audience, ‘wrote film critic Suzanne S. Brown. Even Naomi herself would later admit that the film was a ‘sinking ship’.
Emma Corrin in The Crown (2020)
Newcomer Emma Corrin was cast as Princess Diana in the fourth season of The Crown in 2019. Fans have yet to see the actress on paper, as streaming giant Netflix hasn’t released the show’s next season. However, the actress was photographed filming in Manchester in February this year.
Newcomer: Emma Corrin was cast as Princess Diana in the fourth season of The Crown in 2019
Lesley Harcourt in William & Catherine (2011)
Scottish actress Lesley Harcourt – who once played roles in the British police drama Taggart – played Diana in this cheesy Hallmark film in 2011. The TV drama was described as “shallow amusement” by critics and not taken very seriously.
Genevieve O’Reilly in Diana: Last days of a princess (2007)
This Channel 5 documentary drama starred Irish actress Genevieve O’Reilly, who is perhaps best known for her work in the Star Wars franchise as Mon Mothma. He certainly did better than other projects, with a critique from The New York Times praising him: ‘He portrays her as needy, but manipulative, loving, but imperfect – in other words, as a human being. Mixing documentary and drama techniques with script, it gives a surprisingly reliable image of the princess’s last summer.
Made for TV: Irish actress Genevieve O’Reilly played Diana in Diana: Last days of a 2007 princess
Serena Scott Thomas in Diana: Her True Story (1993)
Based on the publication of the same name by Andrew Morton, British actress and model Serena Scott Thomas also found some praise for her performance in this film for TV. Entertainment Weekly said Serena showed ‘great charm’ on paper, but said she ‘looks more like a softer version of Murphy Brown’s Faith Ford than the angular princess’. Interestingly, Serena played Carole Middleton in the 2011 TV movie William & Kate, portraying the courtship between the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Amy Seccombe in Diana: a tribute to the people’s princess (1998)
This reckless tribute to Princess Diana was released just a year after her death, and starred the little-known actress Amy Seccombe for the role. The project was largely ignored after the launch and was considered unpleasant. Seccombe’s only other role after the TV movie was playing a doctor on the TV show Operation Good Guys.
Cheesy: Amy Seccombe and George Jackos play Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed in the TV movie The People’s Princess
Julie Cox in Princess In Love (1996)
Based on the book by James Hewitt, this film for American TV follows the relationship that developed between Diana. The role was for British actress Julie Cox, who was recently seen in the police drama Broadchurch. The title did not have much impact on its release.
Caroline Bliss in Charles and Diana: A Royal Love Story (1982)
This 1982 biographical television drama starred Catherine Oxenberg as Diana, Christopher Baines as Prince Charles and Hollywood royalty Olivia de Havilland as Queen Elizabeth. Originally, it aired on September 20, 1982 on CBS. A scathing critique of The Washington Post called this ‘jaw-dropping heraldic voyeurism, unable, and apparently uninterested, to turn remote news into credible mortals’.
American versions: (LR) Caroline Bliss IN Charles and Diana: A Royal Love Story (1982), AND Julie Cox in Princess In Love (1996)