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Where was The Crown filmed?
The Crown’s stunning performances and plot full of scandals and political upheaval has turned us all into Windsor watchers. With amazing attention to detail, the show’s scenes are played out in the country’s most palatial interiors and grand exteriors.
As you might expect, the show was filmed in grand stately homes, castles and cathedrals. But not every scene is quite where it claims to be. Here are some of the real locations…
Belvoir Castle’s – pronounced beaver – ornate interiors have appeared in all seasons of The Crown. The Elizabeth Saloon and Regent’s Gallery double as rooms in Windsor Castle. And you may spot some of the exterior in scenes too, including when Princess Margaret arrives at Windsor in season three. Leicestershire’s Belvoir Castle also pops up frequently on the big screen, including in the Da Vinci Code and Young Victoria.
Hatfield House, a vast Jacobean mansion in Hertfordshire, is no stranger to television and film. It has appeared in The King’s Speech and Paddington. But, for The Crown, it’s the home of Elizabeth’s grandmother, Queen Mary. You’ll spot it when Mary is informed of the King’s death in season one.
East Anglia’s Somerleyton Hall doubles as Sandringham in the show. These two rather grand houses are quite similar in architectural style, but the interior of Somerleyton was completely redecorated for the show’s scenes. You’ll see it most notably as the Queen’s family gather for Christmas.
The wedding of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip at Westminster Abbey in season one was actually filmed in Ely Cathedral. It’s not the first royal outing for the cathedral either. It also appeared in The King’s Speech and Elizabeth: The Golden Age.
Ardverikie Castle in the Scottish Highlands appears in the show as the exterior of Balmoral. You’ll see it in episode one of season four when the Royal family visit. And if the castle looks familiar to you, it’s because it represented Glenbogle in Monarch of the Glen for quite a few years.
Knebworth House’s interior does a fine job of representing the inside of Balmoral for The Crown. The house and gardens will, of course, be familiar to anyone who has attended a Knebworth festival.
One of Greenwich’s most prominent buildings, the Old Royal Naval College crops up quite frequently in the show. You may not have spotted it, though, as it’s disguised as the exterior of Buckingham Palace. This Christopher Wren gem frequently doubles as the palace’s courtyard.
It’s Burghley House we see on screen in season four, rather than the equally impressive Windsor Castle. It pops up briefly in season three too. This grand stately home in Peterborough is open to the public, so you can take a look for yourself.
Those infamous scenes where the Queen meets with Churchill and Thatcher? They’re not in Scotland’s Balmoral at all. In fact, they’re filmed at Wrotham Park in Hertfordshire, which is a rather posh wedding venue.