More Than Royalty: A Story of Freedom and Emotional Survival

By: Lyca Mabuyao        UPHUMSScreen.com / 9:57 AM      March 2, 2026 

The film Spencer, directed by Pablo Larrain, tells the story of Princess Diana during a few days in 1991 when she decided to end her marriage with Prince Charles. Instead of showing her whole life, the film focuses on one specific timestamp yet very important, it is important in a way that it lets the viewers understand her feelings and struggles more closely. The film shows Diana’s personal pain and her fight to be free from the pressures of being in a royal family.

The movie's main theme is the pressure of being in a royal family and how it affects personal freedom. Diana always expected to act a certain way and follow strict and specific rules. Which makes her feel trapped. Diana has to appear perfect in front of everyone, but inside she feels heavy, anxious and sad. With the factors given it shows psychological pressures and mental stress, showing the cost of living under mass view and attention from both the public and media. 

The director uses different techniques to show Diana’s state of mind. Temporal distortion was used, meaning time in the movie sometimes feels stretched or strange. There are also dreamlike features or sequences that show how overwhelmed she was in the form of strange imagery. Irony can also be seen in the film, the castle/the house seems to look fancy and beautiful, but on the other hand Diana feels the opposite, she feels lonely. If we view the movie using a feminist lens, the movie shows how Diana had to follow distinct rules that are mostly made by men, and the reason for her to have such limited freedom. The film didn’t only emphasize Diana’s struggle but rather shows how women can be limited by society’s expectations. On the other hand, from a Psychoanalytic perspective, her actions such as hallucinations, having conversations with herself, and eating behaviors shows inner fears and stress. To cope with pressure, while still wanting love and acceptance from the family. 

In conclusion, Spencer is more than a story about the royal family, rather it delves into Diana’s emotional pressure when she was inside royalty. Through its themes and pressure, loneliness and identity and using the said techniques such as temporal distortion, irony and showing the aftermath of social media attention, the film helps viewers feel what the Princess went through. We can connect both the lenses (Feminist and Psychoanalytical) as it highlights her personal and emotional struggles and pressure on society being put on women.