ROYAL FAMILY NEWSPrincess Diana's Brother Says Kristen Stewart Gave the Best Portrayal of His Late Sister in 'Spencer'
Charles Spencer liked Kristen Stewart's portrayal of Diana.
Oct. 13 2026, Published 1:15 p.m. ET
Princess Diana's brother Charles Spencer praised Kristen Stewart's portrayal of the late royal in the 2021 film Spencer.
Charles shared his thoughts on fictional portrayals of his older sister during a recent interview with royal author Tina Brown.
Charles Spencer Can't Speak to Portrayals of Diana on 'The Crown'
Emma Corrin played Princess Diana in 'The Crown.'
During their sit-down chat, Brown asked Charles, "Do you think that any fictional portrayal of Diana has come close to capturing what she was like in real life?"
He replied, "Yeah, actually I do. So I don't watch The Crown, so I can't talk about that. I know the lady who — the person who acted that part has received lots of awards, so I'm sure she did a good job. I've not seen it."
Both Emma Corrin and Elizabeth Debicki played Princess Diana in the acclaimed Netflix series.
He Really Admired Kristen Stewart's Take on Diana
Charles Spencer thought Kristen Stewart nailed playing his sister.
The royal-adjacent figure went on to explain that he had seen Stewart's portrayal of Diana, and that it had his seal of approval.
"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. The film's terrible. I was really intrigued by how good she was at capturing Diana."
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Kristen Stewart on Her Performance in 'Spencer'
Kristen Stewart prepared assiduously for 'Spencer.'
Charles isn't the only one to think Stewart did a fantastic job in Spencer. At the time, the actress was nominated for an Academy Award, two Critics' Choice Awards and one Golden Globe for her performance.
And there's a reason she did such a great job: She worked really hard for it.
"I read everything, I wanted every photo... watched all the interviews that I could get my hands on," Stewart told the BBC in 2021. "I watched The Crown, I watched every iteration of interpretation. I just tried to absorb her in an emotional and general way, and then trust the process, and expect her to show up."
Emma Corrin and Elizabeth Debicki Were Widely Praised for Their Portrayals of Diana
Elizabeth Debicki played Princess Diana in Seasons 5 and 6 'The Crown.'
Corrin played Princess Diana in Season 4 of The Crown, and earned a Critics' Choice Award and a Golden Globe for their performance.
Debicki took over for seasons five and six, and won a Critics Choice Award, an Emmy and a Golden Globe.
