The Crown has won all seven drama categories at the Emmy Awards as well as winning Best Television Series twice at the Golden Globes. You can spot many famous royal backdrops from Buckingham Palace to Windsor Castle - so exactly where was The Crown filmed?
This smash-hit Netflix show has been filmed on-location at various historic castles and grand palaces around the UK, including many that are open to the public. We delve into 11 important UK filming locations and what they were used for in The Crown - as you'll see not all locations are as they appear on-screen!
Whether you're a filmmaker looking for location scouting inspiration or a fan eager to relive the magic of The Crown, we hope you enjoy these jaw-dropping destinations.
Contents
- Lancaster House
- Old Royal Naval College
- His Majesty's Theatre
- The Australian Embassy
- Belvoir Castle
- Ely Cathedral
- Northern Quarter
- Winchester Cathedral
- Hatfield House
- Burghley House
- Caernarfon Castle
London filming locations
Lancaster House
This neo-classical Grade I listed townhouse is nestled in the St James's district of London’s West End, and was once part of the St James's Palace complex. These days, the house is regularly used for filming and on The Crown the rooms were dressed to replicate the interiors of Buckingham Palace throughout the seasons.
Old Royal Naval College
The Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich was designed by Sir Christopher Wren and is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has various areas that are popular for filming including the grounds, Painted Hall, Skittle Alley, and the Chapel.
The Painted Hall is known as ‘Britain’s Sistine Chapel’ thanks to its 40,000 square foot of Baroque painted ceiling and walls. You can spot this beautiful backdrop in season 5 of The Crown as the setting for Queen Elizabeth’s 40th anniversary luncheon (played by Imelda Staunton).
The Chapel is known for its exquisite neo-classical interiors and was chosen to replicate the Royal Military Chapel, known as the Guards' Chapel, where Camilla (Emerald Fennell) andAndrew Parker Bowles (Andrew Buchan) were married in season 3.
His Majesty's Theatre
Just down the road from Lancaster House is His Majesty's Theatre, home to the West End classic musical 'Phantom of the Opera'. The stage can be seen in season 4 where a young Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) performs the song 'All I Ask of You' from the very same musical in front of a full house as well as her husband Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor).
Australia House
The Australian High Commission is located in the ornate Grade II listed building on The Strand, and popular film location. In The Crown the interior is used as the setting for the tense lunch between Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) and Camilla Parker Bowles (Emerald Fennell) in season 4.
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UK filming locations
Belvoir Castle, Leicestershire
Four castles have stood on the hilltop of Belvoir castle (pronounced Beaver) since 1067, enjoying stunning views of the surrounding counties for miles. The current is an elaborate Regency-era house and several rooms have been used to replicate the grand interiors of Windsor Castle through multiple seasons of The Crown.
Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire
This commanding Cathedral in the historic riverside city of Ely holds over 1,300 years of history. As the production was unable to film in Westminster Abby, Ely Cathedral was the stand-in location for the wedding of Queen Elizabeth (Claire Foy) and Prince Phillip (Matt Smith) in season 1.
Northern Quarter, Manchester
Manchester's trendy Northern Quarter neighbourhood is regularly transformed into the streets of downtown New York City for film and TV productions, including in The Crown when Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) made a solo trip to the city in season 4.
Winchester Cathedral, Winchester
One of the largest Gothic cathedrals in Europe, this magnificent location was used to replicate St Paul's Cathedral as the setting for the highly anticipated wedding of Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) and Prince Charles (Josh O'Connor) in season 4.
Hatfield House, Hertfordshire
Hatfield House is a Grade I listed country house set on the large grounds of the Great Park. This is another site that was transformed to replicate the interiors of Buckingham Palace throughout the seasons of The Crown.
Burghley House, Lincolnshire
This palace-like stately home on the edge of Peterborough was used as a double for several external shots of Windsor Castle in season 4 of The Crown, including the devastating fire of 1992.
Caernarfon Castle, Wales
This medieval fortress in Gwynedd was both the filming location for Prince Charles's investiture as the Prince of Wales in season 3 as well as the actual site where the ceremony took place in 1969.
That's a wrap!
The production crew on The Crown worked hard to capture the essence of the royal family’s world and it really paid off. The immense success of the show proves how important it is that the settings feel real to the audience - even if they aren’t filmed at the exact historical locations! Fortunately with a bit of artistic license you can convincingly transform a location into exactly what you want it to be.
If you'd like to explore more amazing film locations across the UK, Tutti has all the creative spaces you could need from green screen studios to historic churches and beautiful homes available for hire. Tutti empowers you to locate and book exactly what you need at the click of a button.
Find iconic filming locations in the UK
Choose from 1000+ spaces and locations on Tutti and deal directly with space hosts for a quick, hassle-free booking process.
