As we immerse ourselves in the sixth and final series of The Crown, we’re well and truly ready to explore the drama-packed world of British royalty once again. But just where was the hit Netflix show filmed? Turns out a whole host of locations are used as dupes for the likes of Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle and Balmoral Estate. From stately homes to cathedrals, we take a behind-the-scenes look at the real filming sites.
Click through to discover the incredible filming locations of The Crown...
Recognise this majestic manor? Wilton House was used as a filming location for The Crown between 2015 and 2022, but it has also featured in Bridgerton, Emma and Young Victoria, so if you’re into period dramas, you’ve probably seen it on screen. The impressive property is the real-life home of the Earl and Countess of Pembroke, but in The Crown its lavish interiors serve as stand-ins for Buckingham Palace.
Surrounded by bucolic Wiltshire countryside, the stately home is usually open to visitors during the spring and summertime, and strolling its gorgeous grounds and peeking into its fascinating interiors makes for an idyllic family day out. The house has belonged to the Earls of Pembroke for four centuries, and it also hosts occasional events including an annual antiques fair.
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An on-screen double for Sandringham, the Royal Family’s Norfolk bolthole, this Suffolk mansion is used extensively throughout the series. In 2020, several important scenes starring Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman) were shot here, depicting the Royal Family enjoying the festive period. The residence is still the day-to-day home of Lord and Lady Somerleyton, and therefore is closed to the public.
The Jacobean property features intricate Italianate towers, Dutch gables and gorgeous landscaped grounds designed by William Andrews Nesfield, a famous gardener to the aristocracy in the 19th century. While you can’t go inside the Hall, the gardens are open on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays during summer between 11am and 4pm, but do check the website before visiting.
Another stand-in for Buckingham Palace, Lancaster House is an elaborate Neoclassical townhouse located on London’s Pall Mall. The building, which dates back to the 1820s, is just a stone’s throw from the real-life royal residence it represents, and once hosted Queen Victoria. Today, it’s managed by the government and is mainly used for conferences, although it was also where heads of state and other VIPs paid their respects by signing the Book of Condolence following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
The lavish house isn’t open to the public, but you can book onto occasional guided tours. The opulent rooms include the grand hall, home to a staircase inspired by the Palace of Versailles; the long gallery, where Winston Churchill held a banquet for the newly-crowned Queen Elizabeth II in 1953; and the state drawing room (pictured), which has hosted foreign dignitaries from every corner of the globe.
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In series three, Hylands House in Chelmsford, Essex serves as a replacement for the White House, where Princess Margaret (Helena Bonham Carter) and her husband Lord Snowdon (Ben Daniels) meet President Lyndon B Johnson. With its immaculate white pillars and expansive grounds, it certainly makes a convincing replica for the famous Washington landmark.
The Grade II-listed house, which boasts a stunning setting amid 574 acres of historic parkland, is only open to the public for a few days each year. However, Hyland Park also hosts the annual V Festival and can be hired for weddings and private events if you’re desperate to get a taste of this fabulous regal location.
Serving as the on-screen version of Kensington Palace, which was the real-life residence of the then-Prince Charles, Princess Diana and Princess Margaret, Brocket Hall is a Grade I-listed stately home in Welwyn Garden City. The 18th-century property has housed two British prime ministers, Lord Melbourne and Lord Palmerston, and starred in countless TV series and films: Grantchester, Spider-Man: Far From Home, Made in Chelsea and Rocketman to name a few.
Just 22 miles (35km) from central London, the bucolic property is a popular spot for weddings and events. You can even stay the night in its gorgeous Grade I-listed Georgian coach house, Melbourne Lodge, which offers 16 luxurious en-suite bedrooms with views across the estate.
In series six, Winchester Cathedral serves as a capable double for Westminster Abbey, where Princess Diana's funeral was held. It also played the part of St Paul’s Cathedral, London during series four, when the marriage of Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) and the then-Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor) was filmed there. During the same series, the crew returned to the cathedral to film the funeral of Lord Mountbatten, who was assassinated when a bomb was planted on his fishing boat in Ireland.
The imposing medieval structure dates back to 1093, although it has been extensively remodelled by a long succession of bishops over the centuries. Today, it has the longest nave of any European cathedral, as well as a stone crypt dating from the Norman period and seven elaborate chapels built between the 14th and 16th centuries. It’s free to visit and is typically open 9am to 5pm Monday to Saturday, or 12.30pm to 3pm on Sundays.
Another of the show's heavenly filming locations was York Minster in Yorkshire, which was used as a stand in for St George's Chapel, Windsor in series six. Royal watchers will remember that, while the then-Prince Charles and Princess Diana wed in the grandeur of St Paul's Cathedral, Charles' second marriage, to Camilla, took place in the much more intimate surrounds of St George's. Series six is said to end with Charles' and Camilla's 2005 wedding, giving York Minster a starring role.
The magnificent cathedral was built from 1230 to 1472, but stands on the site of a much earlier wooden church erected in AD 673. Although you can't tell by looking at it today, the imposing building was partially destroyed by fire in 1984. As many as 114 firefighters battled the blaze, eventually bringing it under control, but not before they deliberately collapsed part of the roof. The restoration cost £2.3 million ($2.8m) and was completed just four years later. Visitors can take in the magnificent interior from 9.30am to 4pm Monday to Saturday and 12.45pm to 3.15pm on Sundays. Tickets cost from £20 ($24.85). Opening hours differ slightly for worship, so check the website before you go.
In January 2020, production teams spent two days filming scenes for series four at Ragley Hall, a stately home near Alcester, Warwickshire. The property doubles up as Althorp, the Spencer family home, and the great hall hosts the scene in which Charles first encounters Diana. In another scene, its vaulted hallway is transformed into Buckingham Palace’s kitchen.
The impressive manor, set amid 450 acres of sprawling parkland, was completed in the mid-18th century, and many of its features have remained the same for almost 300 years. It’s currently home to the ninth Marquess of Hertford, Henry Jocelyn Seymour, and hosts a wide range of events throughout the year, from festivals and concerts to exhibitions and fairs. A popular filming location, it has also appeared in British TV shows like Doctor Who, Countryfile and Flog It!.
The interior of this lavish country home plays two important roles in The Crown – Margaret Thatcher’s 10 Downing Street and the Royal Family’s Balmoral Castle. In one scene in series four, the entrance hall sees Thatcher (Gillian Anderson) posing for a photograph with her new cabinet, and a portrait above the fireplace was switched out for one that resembles an artwork in Downing Street.
Actors Gillian Anderson and Olivia Colman reportedly stayed at Hedsor during filming – and you can follow in their footsteps by renting the extravagant home to host a party, wedding or corporate event. You’ll need cash to splash, however, as the entire house costs from £5,900 ($7,338) to host a function and overnight stay. Among the stunning spaces you'd enjoy are a games lounge, professional-standard kitchens (for your team of private chefs, naturally), 13 luxurious bedrooms and manicured grounds.
For obvious reasons, The Crown couldn’t film at the Royal Family’s Balmoral holiday home, but Ardverikie Estate in the Highlands looks just as regal and imposing on screen. The 19th-century Scottish baronial property is an ideal substitute with its storybook turrets, ornate interiors and rugged landscape and appears once again in series six of the hit show. Cast members including Elizabeth Debicki, who plays Princess Diana, Will Powell (Prince Harry) and Rufus Kampa (Prince William) have all been spotted filming here.
The Highland estate might be 150 years old, but it has kept up with the times. Today it’s a bastion of sustainability, with an on-site hydropower station generating renewable energy, and an important wildlife habitat that's home to a herd of 1,000 red deer. If you’d like to live like royalty for the night, the estate has eight idyllic holiday cottages available for rental, including the fairy-tale Gatelodge (pictured).
In the third series, North Wales’ Caernarfon Castle enjoys a brief cameo in the hit show. It plays itself in a scene where Queen Elizabeth II and the then-Prince Charles wave at crowds from the balcony, recreating a real event that took place here back in 1969. The Gwynedd landmark was the site of the now-King Charles’ investiture – when he was formally presented to the people of Wales as their prince – which drew a television audience of millions.
Occupying a scenic spot overlooking the River Seiont, the medieval fortress was built by King Edward I in the 1280s. It was a huge project, taking almost half a century to complete, and today it’s among the most impressive structures to survive from the period, with geometric towers, ornate statues and colour-coded stone masonry. It’s typically open daily from 10am to 4pm in winter and 9.30am to 5/6pm in summer, excluding public holidays.
Straddling the border between Hampshire and Dorset, Somerley House is a lavish 7,000-acre estate home to a stunning Georgian mansion. It stands in for the royal residence of Highgrove in the show, with production crews spotted filming series six here in October 2022, although staff at the estate have not disclosed much information about the production. It has also been used as a filming location for Bridgerton, and has been a backdrop for magazine fashion shoots in Vogue, Tatler, Vanity Fair and Elle.
The grand mansion isn’t open to the public, but it can be hired out for weddings and hosts occasional events including the National Airsoft Festival and the Ellingham Show. If you wish, you can also stay the night in one of two gorgeous self-catering properties on the estate: the red-brick Farmhouse or the Victorian Old Salmon Hut.
Belvoir Castle is another property with a résumé to rival any A-lister. It’s appeared in a huge range of TV series and films, including The Da Vinci Code, The Haunting, Young Victoria and of course The Crown. The stately home near Grantham, Leicestershire, serves as Windsor Castle in series six, as well as earlier series, with most of its interior scenes filmed in the Elizabeth Saloon and the Regent’s Gallery.
The current Gothic castle was built in the early 1800s, although the site’s history dates all the way back to AD 1067, when the Norman baron Robert de Todeni first built a castle here. Today it’s home to the Duke of Rutland and family, who have lived here in an unbroken line for nearly one millennium. Belvoir Castle is open to visitors seven days a week from 11am to 4pm, so you can go have a look around – and see if you recognise the parts that have appeared on screen.
Another property that doubles for Windsor Castle in the latest series is Lincolnshire’s Burghley House. In series four, the ornate Heaven Room was the backdrop for Lady Diana Spencer (Emma Corrin) choosing her engagement ring, while the historic Tudor mansion has also appeared in Pride and Prejudice (2005).
Those looking to live like royalty will be gratified to learn you can actually stay on the estate of this sumptuous stately home. Burghley House offers a number of swish accommodation options, including The Dairy, a 19th-century property which sleeps up to 20 guests. It’s also possible to peruse the house itself, which is open 10.30am to 4.30pm every day except Fridays, from mid-March to the end of October. The gardens are open every day in the same period from 10.30am to 5pm. Those who don't mind a chilly walk can stroll the gardens on weekends only from the end of October to mid-December.
Situated just 17 miles (27km) from Hyde Park, Wrotham Park is a stunning 2,500-acre estate ensconced in Hertfordshire countryside. In the series it plays Sandringham, the Royal Family’s Norfolk country retreat. In one memorable scene filmed here, Queen Elizabeth II (Olivia Colman) predicts Margaret Thatcher's (Gillian Anderson) proposed cabinet in a private audience room. The house also doubles up as Princess Anne’s residence, Gatcombe Park.
The Palladian mansion was built in 1754 by Admiral John Byng, a British naval officer, but it burnt down in a fire in 1883 and had to be rebuilt. Thankfully, most of its contents were saved and it was rebuilt in the same style with improved Victorian construction methods, meaning today’s mansion has the same 18th-century charm. It’s not open to the public, but it can be hired for events and weddings.
Another beautiful stately home to star in The Crown is Audley End House in Essex. You never see it from the outside, but various rooms including the great hall and library serve as copycats for Balmoral, Windsor and Eton College. The library is an especially impressive space: it houses more than 6,000 books in gilded floor-to-ceiling shelves, which you’d certainly need a ladder to reach the top of.
The gorgeous Jacobean mansion was built in the early 17th century by Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, although it was altered and modernised several times over the ensuing centuries. Nowadays the site is owned by English Heritage, who has restored its historic interiors and spacious gardens to their former glory for all to enjoy.
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