Kristen's eerie scenes: I COULD FEEL DIANA ON SET

The actress was in for a shock while capturing the spirit of the princess

Being asked to play one of the most famous, beloved and misunderstood women of the 20th century would be a dream come true for most Hollywood actresses.

But when Kristen Stewart was offered the role of Princess Diana for the movie Spencer, her reaction startled even herself.

“I was like, ‘Dude, no. Trust me, no,’” laughs Kristen as she recalls the moment director Pablo Larraín asked her to play the late Princess of Wales in the film.

But in the end, the actress, 31, confesses, “His assurance was so contagious and the prospect of playing her was too sparkly.”

Now tipped to be in hot contention for an Oscar for her mesmerising performance, it’s not surprising that Kristen has never once regretted her decision to accept the role, despite the many months she endured preparing to inhabit every aspect of the princess’ persona, from her cut-glass British accent to her deep loneliness and fragility.

The movie, which opened in New Zealand last week, is set over three days in 1991. The royal family has gathered at Sandringham Castle for their Christmas get-together and as the days pass by, the people’s princess crumbles under the pressure of her failing marriage.

As she wields a pair of wire cutters in a ballgown and even catches a glimpse of Anne Boleyn’s ghost, the halls of the Queen’s Norfolk residence become more like the hotel corridors in Stanley Kubrick’s The Shining than the fusty passageways of a royal residence.