The Spencer cast features real-life and fictional characters in the life of the late Diana, Princess of Wales. Before her death, the Royal was subject to intense public and media scrutiny. Her legacy lives on, and she’s been portrayed by various actresses throughout the years. Directed by Pablo Larraín, Spencer is set over three days in 1991, during which the royal family, including Princess Diana and her sons, William and Harry, unite at the queen’s Sandringham Estate to spend Christmas together.

This was also the last Christmas for Princess Diana and Prince Charles as a married couple, with the royals officially separating in early December 1992. Spencer highlights Princess Diana’s inner turmoil as she attempts to reclaim her idenтιтy and escape the constraints of the royal insтιтution. Princess Diana is the main character, with most of the supporting cast primarily existing in the film’s periphery as the story maintains its intimate portrait of the late royal.

Kristen Stewart As Diana, Princess Of Wales

Birthdate: April 9, 1990

Character: Diana, Princess of Wales, is played by Kristen Stewart in Spencer, whose onscreen persona is inspired and based on the late real-life British royal. Diana Spencer married Prince Charles III and is the mother of Princes William and Harry. She became world-famous and beloved thanks to her activism and fashion sense, which turned her into an icon. She died in 1997 in an auto crash, the year after she divorced Charles.

Actor: Kristen Stewart remains well-known for starring as Bella Swan in the Twilight franchise, in which she appeared in all five films — Twilight, The Twilight Saga: New Moon, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1, and The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2. The actress has also taken to starring in several independent films, including Personal Shopper, Clouds of Sils Maria, Certain Women, and Equals. She has also starred in the 2019 reboot of Charlie’s Angels and the holiday film Happiest Season.

Jack Farthing As Charles, Prince Of Wales

Birthdate: October 14, 1985

Character: Prince Charles is Princess Diana’s husband and father to their sons. Charles is the heir to the British throne and is increasingly annoyed by his wife’s refusal to uphold certain royal traditions. The two divorced in 1996, one year before Diana’s tragic death in an auto crash while the paparazzi were pursuing her. In 2022, Charles became the King of England after Queen Elizabeth’s death.

Actor: Prince Charles is played by Jack Farthing, who is best known for roles in the TV series Poldark as the villain George Warleggan, and as Freddie Threepwood in the series Blandings. Farthing recently appeared in The Lost Daughter alongside Olivia Colman and Dakota Johnson and has also starred in the miniseries The ABC Murders. In 2023, Farthing starred in both Rain Dogs and The Serial Killer’s Wife, and in 2025, he stars in the German film Islands with Sam Riley.

Jack Nielen As Prince William

Birthdate: August 05, 2009

Character: Prince William is the eldest son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles and the second in line to the British throne after his father. William was nine years old when Spencer hit theaters. After the movie, his father, Charles III, became the new King of England. William married Princess Kate when he grew up, and he has three children of his own, one of whom will take over the role of the next in line to the British throne, following his father.

Actor: Jack Nielen plays Prince William. He has no additional acting credits. Spencer marked his feature debut, and the young actor has not taken on a role since.

Freddie Spry As Prince Harry

Birthdate: June 21, 2011

Character: Prince Harry is the youngest son of Princess Diana and Prince Charles and formerly the third in line to the British throne. Prince Harry is two years younger than his brother and was seven years old during Spencer’s events. Harry has since distanced himself from the Royal Family, as he and his wife Meghan Markle moved to California and started their work with a charitable organization. Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also appeared in a Netflix docuseries in 2022.

Actor: Freddie Spry has previously appeared in Lego Masters UK in 2018, with Spencer also marking his feature film debut. In 2024, Spry voiced Teddy Forrest in the Netflix animated movie That Christmas​​​​​. He also appeared at the Edinburgh Fringe in both Midsummer Night’s Dream (as Puck) and Lord of the Flies (as Jack). Other than acting, he won a bronze medal at the 2019 London Youth Games in BMX.

Timothy Spall As Equerry Major Alistair Gregory

Birthdate: February 27, 1957

Character: Equerry Major Alistair Gregory is responsible for maintaining the royals’ image and protecting them over the course of the Christmas holiday at Sandringham. In Spencer, it’s Major Alistair’s first year attending to Princess Diana and her family, and he takes his role very seriously. Alistair Gregory is not, like many others in the film, a real-life figure, though he’s probably inspired by someone who was in a similar position.

Actor: Alistair is played by Timothy Spall, who has a storied acting career. Spall starred as the artist JMW Turner in 2015’s Mr. Turner and appeared in a plethora of other films, including five of the eight Harry Potter films, Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street, Vanilla Sky, Hamlet, The King’s Speech, and Alice Through the Looking Glᴀss.

Sean Harris As Darren McGrady

Birthdate: June 1, 1966

Character: Darren McGrady was the royal head chef for Queen Elizabeth II. In Spencer, he’s shown running his staff as though a military regiment to ensure the royals received the best (and that the staff stayed quiet while working). McGrady began working as the Royals’ chef in 1982, a role he served for 15 years. In 1993, he began working for Princess Diana until she died in 1997. After her death, McGrady moved to Dallas in the United States and started his own catering company called Eating Royally.

Actor: Darren McGrady is portrayed in the film by Sean Harris. Harris began his career as a stage actor in Scotland and then moved on to secure some television roles, including See No Evil: The Moors Murders in 2006. On the big screen, Harris had several roles, with a standout being playing The Creep in the Christopher Smith cult horror movie The Creep. He also appeared in 24 Hour Party People, Harry Brown, Prometheus, Deliver Us From Evil, and the Mission: Impossible franchise as Solomon Lane.

Sally Hawkins As Maggie

Birthdate: April 27, 1976

Character: Maggie is Princess Diana’s royal dresser, an employee who is also a trusted friend and confidante. Unlike Chef Darren McGrady, Maggie is fictionalized, though the character seems to be inspired by Fay Appleby, Princess Diana’s real-life dresser for six years. Fay, who was close to Diana throughout her life, died at the young age of 47 after battling cancer. She had two children, and Diana secretly supported her through her cancer battle.

Actor: Sally Hawkins plays Maggie. She graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, and the actress has the most extensive filmography of anyone in the Spencer cast. Hawkins has appeared in several major movies, including playing Dr. Vivienne Graham in Godzilla, Mrs. Brown in Paddington​​​​​, Maude Lewis in Maudie, and Ginger in Blue Jasmine. She also won several awards for Happy-Go-Lucky and the 2017 film The Shape of Water.

Stella Gonet as Queen Elizabeth II

Birthdate: December 12, 1960

Character: Queen Elizabeth II is the royal matriarch, the mother of Prince Charles, the mother-in-law of Princess Diana, and the grandmother of Harry and William. She reigned from 1952 until she died in 2022. Her 70 years and 214 days were the longest of any British monarch and the second longest of any sovereign state. When Elizabeth died, her son Charles became the new King of England.

Actor: In Spencer, the queen is played by Stella Gonet. The actress is best known for her roles in The House of Eliott and Holby City on the BBC. She has mostly worked on the stage, though, with appearances in Hamlet and Handbagged. Ironically, in the latter stage play, she played the former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, meaning she played the Queen of England and the Prime Minister at different times in her career. She also starred in the British series Breeders.

Spencer Supporting Cast & Characters

Emma Darwall-Smith as Camilla Parker Bowles – Camilla Parker Bowles is the woman with whom Prince Charles is having an affair. She appears in one scene in Spencer, though she is alluded to throughout. Camilla is played by Emma Darwall-Smith, who starred in the TV movie Henry VIII and Ballet Shoes.

Amy Manson as Anne Boleyn – Anne Boleyn appears throughout Spencer after Princess Diana starts reading a book about the late queen’s life. In reality, Anne Boleyn was the Queen of England from 1533-1536 and the second wife of King Henry VIII. Anne was also the mother of Queen Elizabeth I. She is played by Amy Manson, who is known for roles in the TV series Being Human, Torchwood, Once Upon a Time, and The Nevers.

Olga Hellsing as Sarah “Fergie” Ferguson – Sarah Ferguson is the Duchess of York and the sister-in-law of Prince Charles. Sarah was married to Prince Andrew in Spencer, but the pair separated after their time at Sandringham in 1991. Olga Hellsing is a model who made her feature debut in Spencer.

Niklas Kohrt as Prince Andrew – Prince Andrew is the Duke of York, the brother of Prince Charles, and Sarah Ferguson’s husband. Niklas Kohrt is known for Teenage Angst and the series Tatort.

Richard Sammel as Prince Philip – Prince Philip is Queen Elizabeth II’s husband and the father of Prince Charles. Richard Sammel is best known for roles in Inglourious Basterds, Casino Royale, 3 Days to Kill, and The Strain.

Thomas Douglas as John Spencer, 8th Earl Spencer – John Spencer was Princess Diana’s father. Thomas Doulas is known for roles in The Billion Dollar Coda and I’m Good.

Oriana Gordon as Lady Sarah Armstrong-Jones – Lady Sarah is the niece of Queen Elizabeth II and the daughter of Princess Margaret. Oriana Gordon has only been in one previous film called Annalena.

Ryan Wichert as Staff Sergeant Wood – Sergeant Wood is one of the royal staff who patrolled the grounds in Spencer. He is played by Ryan Wichert, who is best known for roles in The Queen’s Gambit.

Elizabeth Berrington as Princess Anne – Anne is Prince Charles’ sister, whose тιтle is Princess Royal. Elizabeth Berrington is best known for roles in The Nevers, Good Omens, Last Night in Soho, Sanditon, and Black Mirror.