‘Spencer’ Production Designer Guy Hendrix Dyas on Recreating Sandringham House, Royal Family Christmas

Pablo Larrain’s critically acclaimed film Spencer is widely known for star Kristen Stewart’s transformative performance as the late Princess Diana. But audiences flocking to see Stewart will be stunned by the exquisite production design courtesy of Guy Hendrix Dyas. Rather that simply recreate the well-known trappings of the Royal Family, Dyas followed Spencer director Pablo Larrain’s vision of Diana’s life as a gruesome fable.

Given that direction, Dyas re-imagined the world of the Royal Family in uniquely different ways. Various German locations set the stage for the famous Sandringham House where the family spends the film’s tense Christmas weekend. In this interview with Awards Daily’s Clarence Moye, Dyas describes the search for the locations used in the film and how they were selected, including the run-down Spencer estate seen in the film.

Dyas also describes the research and attention to detail required to render the kitchen and elaborate food preparation process for the Royal Family’s Christmas dinner as seen in the film. He dives into the critical collaborative process between production and costume design, including how they pulled off the now infamous pearl necklace eating sequence. Finally, Dyas talks about recreating the Royal Family’s Christmas decor, including the Christmas Eve gift exchange.

Spencer opens Friday in select theaters.