The movie Spencer, starring Kristen Stewart as Princess Diana, takes place over three days in December 1991 as the royal family spends its Christmas at Sandringham, the queen's country estate in Norfolk.
The psychological thriller, directed by Pablo Larraín, shows a fictionalized Diana grappling with her desire to end her unhappy marriage to Prince Charles (played by Jack Farthing) and with her loss of identity.
Filming for Spencer took place across Germany and England in early 2021, concluding on April 27.
The main German locations were the Schlosshotel Kronberg, near Frankfurt, and Nordkirchen Castle in North Rhine-Westphalia. In March, filming moved to the U.K., where scenes were shot in and around Norfolk and London.
Newsweek takes a closer look at where Spencer was filmed and set.
'Spencer' Filming Locations
Nordkirchen Castle
Nordkirchen Castle in North-Rhine Westphalia was one of the main locations for Spencer, with the 16th-century palace serving as the interior and exterior of Sandringham.
The palace is known as the "Versailles of Westphalia" and the film shows Stewart as Diana running around its long halls and the royal family sitting down for their Christmas Lunch.
Its breathtaking grounds can be seen in a sequence where Diana, dressed in yellow, takes a stroll. One eagle-eyed fan on Twitter shared images of the cast and crew filming on the Nordkirchen grounds in February 2021. Check out the impressive thread below.
“Preparations for the shooting of the film drama Spencer with Kristen Stewart in the lead role as Lady Diana are in full swing at and at Nordkirchen Castle.” pic.twitter.com/qGtJVNuuIF
— Robynne (@everydayrobsten) February 19, 2021
Schlosshotel Kronberg
The Schlosshotel Kronberg (Castle Hotel Kronberg), near Frankfurt, also doubles as Sandringham in the movie.
According to the website Sceenit, many interior scenes were shot inside the hotel, including Diana marching down the hallway in her white gown, having visions of Anne Boleyn and a montage of the princess dancing around the rooms of Sandringham House.
The Schlosshotel Kronberg has real-life connections to the British royal family. It was built in the 1890s for the dowager Empress Victoria of Germany, who was the eldest daughter of the U.K.'s Queen Victoria. The castle's original name was Schloss Friedrichshof, in honor of the dowager empress' late husband Friedrich III, and she spent most of her time there until her own death in 1901. It is now a luxury hotel.
KFC
At the end of Spencer, Diana decides to leave the royals behind at Sandringham, taking her sons Prince Harry (Freddie Spry) and Prince William (Jack Nielen) with her.
The trio head for London, where Diana treats herself and the boys to a KFC, which they eat on a bench near the River Thames.
The scene was filmed at a drive-in KFC on the Old Kent Road in Southwark, south London.
It is not known whether this visit to KFC—without a royal protection officer in sight—ever took place, but Diana was known to take her sons out for fast food.
Former royal chef Darren McGrady told Marie Claire: "I remember the princess came into the kitchen one day and said, 'Cancel lunch for the boys. I'm taking them out, we're going to McDonald's.'"
St Peter and St Paul's Church
St Peter and St Paul's Church in Shropham, Norfolk, was the filming location for the Christmas Day service in Spencer, in a scene showing Diana watching on as Camilla and Charles laugh together outside the church.
In the scene, Diana catches Camilla's eye but no words are exchanged between them.
The 15th-century St Peter and St Paul's doubled as St Mary Magdalene, the church on the Sandringham estate that the royal family traditionally attends on Christmas morning.
The royals walk from Sandringham House down to the church, where they are often greeted by members of the public.
The inside of St Peter and St Paul's, with its beautiful stained-glass windows, also serves as the interior of St Mary Magdalene.
Hunstanton Beach
In August, local newspaper The Eastern Daily Press reported sightings of Stewart and Sally Hawkins, who plays Diana's friend and dresser Maggie, filming on Hunstanton Beach in Norfolk.
In Spencer, Diana and Maggie visit the beach, where they have a heartfelt conversation about their relationship and Diana's mental state.
According to the Daily Press, the real Diana was a frequent visitor to Hunstanton Beach, which is just five miles from the Sandringham estate.
Spencer is in theaters now.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Molli Mitchell is a Senior SEO TV and Film Newsweek Reporter based in London, UK. Her focus is reporting on ... Read more
