Spencer: New Diana film slammed for being ‘unnecessarily gratuitous’

Hotly-anticipated royal drama Spencer has come under fire for its depiction of some particularly controversial moments in the late royal’s life.

Princess Diana is seen battling bulimia and self-harming in the latest big screen adaptation of her life, Spencer.

The late royal is portrayed as an emotionally unstable, broken woman trapped within a heartless archaic institution in the controversial new film.

From envisioning throwing herself down the stairs to choking on a pearl necklace gifted to her by Charles, the Princess is rarely not seen in a state of distress during the nearly two-hour film.

Stewart plays Diana in the controversial film.

In scenes sure to upset the Royal Family – especially Prince William and Prince Charles – the monarchy is seen stripped back to a cold firm set in its ways, unwilling to bend or compromise to any degree.

While Charles’ infidelity and lack of affection are repeatedly drawn on during the film, so is young Prince William’s heartbreak at watching his mother in pain.

One gut-wrenching scene sees William close to tears as his troubled mum locks herself in her bathroom.

Royal biographer and expert Penny Junor said: “It is unnecessarily gratuitous.

“Poor old William is all I can say. And let’s leave Diana with a shred of respect and dignity. I know William was there when she was unhappy, but it sounds to me the movie is factually incorrect.”

The late royal is shown with her two sons.

The story covers just three days over Christmas at the Sandringham estate.

Within 30 minutes of the film kicking off we see the late Princess of Wales, played by former Twilight actress Kristen Stewart, 31, bent over the toilet at Sandringham vomiting on Christmas Eve twice.

The graphic close-up scenes expose the harsh reality of Diana’s life long battle with bulimia.

As for the trigger of the first onscreen sickness? The annual Christmas family weigh-in dating back to Prince Albert in 1847.

Laying down the law to Diana who tries to swerve sitting on the scales in the entrance to the Norfolk Estate, a member of the royal household bluntly states that all members of the family must add on 3lbs (1.36kgs) during the festive period to “prove they enjoyed Christmas”.

He adds: “Ma’am, Her Majesty herself sat on these scales, and she was very insistent that everybody joins in.

“They said no one is above tradition.”

Spencer showcases some of the worst days of Diana’s life.

Set over the three days of Christmas in 1991 – from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day – the film is a gloomy, uncompromising take on how director Pablo Larraín sees Diana’s world as her marriage became totally broken down and unsalvageable.

With speculation about the state of Charles and Diana’s relationship rife, the royals bunker down at Sandringham – with a paranoid Charles even ordering Diana’s curtains to be sewn together against her wishes in a bid to stop her opening them and risk being pictured with a long lens.

In another cruel swipe at the Prince of Wales, on Christmas Day morning Diana joins the family for breakfast – asking her husband how she looks.

After simply replying “fine” he hisses: “There is one thing. The chickens laid the eggs. The fisherman caught the fish and the bees made the honey. They all made such an effort to bring you breakfast.

“Please do them the courtesy of not regurgitating it all into a lavatory bowl before the church bells even ring.”

Prince Charles is depicted as cold and unforgiving.

But while often unfair and overly harsh criticism of Charles is nothing new – just ask the writers of Netflix’s The Crown – Spencer is the first time Prince William and Prince Harry have been brought into the centrefold beyond a passing mention or token scene in any royal biopic.

During the fateful Christmas holiday, the Wales’ marriage was shattered beyond repair.

Princes William and Harry, who are 9 and 7 respectively in the film, are constantly on Diana’s mind – with a number of emotional scenes playing out featuring just the three of them.

As Diana tucks her sons in to bed for the night, William asks: “Mummy, why do we have to open our presents on Christmas Eve? Why not Christmas Day like everybody body else?”

Smiling, Diana replies: “You know at school you do tenses? There is the past, the present and the future? Well, here there is only one tense – there is no future. The past and the present are the same thing.”

She later is seen sneaking the boys’ presents to open on Christmas morning – though begs them to keep the gifts a secret from the Royal Family, fearing she’s breached protocol.

In another scene appearing to echo Prince Harry’s real life comments to Oprah about his brother and father being trapped in the system, Harry asks William if he even wants to be king. The heir swerves the question but the undertones are all too clear for the viewer.

A third intense scene which will no doubt enrage the protective third in line to the throne, Wills is seen close to tears as he begs his mother to join him for dinner after she locks herself in the bathroom following a graphic self-harm scene with wire cutters.

The princess is depicted in the depths of mental illness.

As he bangs on the door, William is seen as collateral damage and the only family member willing to pick up the pieces of his parents’ shattered marriage.

“Mummy, Mummy … Mummy, you said to tell you if you are being really silly. You are being really silly,” the emotional prince begs.

“Please mummy, we have to sit down before Granny. Mummy just switch off your mind. Don’t think about it until after dinner for everyone’s sake.”

After Diana appears with mascara stained cheeks, she then asks her son if he saw Camilla Parker Bowles at the church on Christmas Day morning.

Spencer is due to be released in Australia on January 26, 2022.

This article originally appeared in The Sun and was reproduced with permission.

Originally published as Spencer: New Diana film slammed for being ‘unnecessarily gratuitous’