Fancy hiring out Highgrove or booking a room at Balmoral?
Filming is well underway for season five of The Crown, and with new glimpses of the cast coming out every week we couldn’t be more excited. Alongside Elizabeth Debicki’s Diana and Imelda Staunton’s Queen Elizabeth II, there are a few stars we’re really excited to see on our screens – alongside, of course, the lavish locations and interiors. If November 2022 is too long to wait for your fix, why not take a behind the scenes look at some of The Crown‘s filming locations? From Scottish castles to London landmarks, we’ve scouted out a few of the most dreamy filming locations, and found out how you can visit them.
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The Crown Filming Locations: Season Five
San Telmo, Mallorca
Spotted filming on a glamorous speedboat, Elizabeth Deblecki (playing Diana), and Dominic West (Prince Charles) were papped on the picturesque beachside town of Andratx. Situated on the North West coast of the country, this location is likely to cover when Prince Charles and Diana took their children on holiday.
VISIT You’re more than welcome to visit San Telmo when on your next holiday to Mallorca, although we recommend booking the speedboat in advance.
Lancaster House aka. Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace has been the British monarch’s official residence since 1837 and the setting for some of The Crown’s most iconic scenes (who can forget Diana roller skating through the corridors in season four?). Lancaster House – a lavish neoclassical townhouse just a few doors down on Pall Mall – stood in for the palace during filming, and we can expect a return to it’s lush interiors in season five. Built in the 1820s, the mansion has it’s own royal history and was a favourite of Queen Victoria, who once remarked to the resident Duchess of Sunderland ‘I come from my house to your palace.’
VISIT Though it’s not usually open to the public, you can enquire about booked tours here, or take a guided virtual tour. The real Buckingham Palace is also open to the public between July and October, though – spoiler alert – the reasons why it was opened are expected to be covered in the new series… royal.uk
Ardverikie Castle aka. Balmoral
One of the most momentous events season five will cover is Diana’s tragic death. Young Princes Harry and William were at Balmoral Castle with their father when they heard the news – so we’re expecting to spend a lot of time there. The Queen’s beloved Scottish bolthole features in every season of the show and – unlike it’s ever-changing cast – is portrayed throughout by Ardverikie Castle. And if our first look at Elizabeth Debicki as Princess Diana – spotted outside the castle with young actors playing Harry and William – is anything to go off, it will be a mainstay of season five too. This 19th century Gothic home near Inverness has the same brooding turrets and gloomy air as the real Balmoral.
VISIT To see it up close rent one of the cosy guest cottages on the grounds, and take a tour of the main castle. ardverikie.com
Brocket Hall aka. Kensington Palace
The breakdown of Charles and Diana’s marriage is one of the most hotly anticipated storylines of season five. Diana’s official residence throughout the separation was Apartments 8 and 9 at Kensington Palace. This west London royal residence (which is the current home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge) has been portrayed by a handful of stately homes. For the neo-classical façade, producers chose the filming location of Brocket Hall in Hertfordshire. Built in 1760, this country estate has been home to two British Prime Ministers and was a favourite of Queen Victoria.
VISIT You can live like royalty by booking in to Melbourne Lodge, Brocket Hall’s Grade I listed coach house which has been converted to offer visitors 16 ensuite bedrooms. brocket-hall.co.uk
Somerley House aka. Highgrove
While Diana was living in Kensington Palace, Charles was holed up in the family’s Gloucestershire country estate Highgrove. This elegant Georgian house with its beautifully tended gardens is still inhabited by the Prince of Wales today (along with the Duchess of Cornwall). Grade II listed Somerley House in the New Forest was chosen by producers to double up as Highgrove in season four, so we’re expecting to see much more of this charming estate in the upcoming series. Designed in the 1790s, Somerley’s classical Georgian façade, walled gardens and ancient woodland made it a natural choice for the Prince of Wales’s home (as well as one of the star filming locations in Bridgerton).
VISIT Today it is still the official seat of the Earl of Normanton – but you can reign over it for a weekend, as the house in its entirety is available to book for holidays, weddings or private events. somerley.com
Hedsor House aka. Downing Street
Gillian Anderson’s Margaret Thatcher was one of the stand outs of season four, and season five will see her passing the torch to Jonny Lee Miller’s John Major. With a new PM on the scene, and a turbulent political decade ahead, we can expect to see much more of Number 10. The stately interiors of Hedsor House stood in for Downing Street in previous seasons. Just 15 miles from London, this magnificent country home has been visited by Kings and Queens since 1106. More recently it’s become a favourite of a different kind of royalty, with George Clooney, the Beckhams, Brad Pitt and Elton John all enjoying stays.
VISIT If you fancy sleeping, dining and partying in the corridors of power, then you’re in luck – the whole house is available for private hire. hedsor.com
Burghley House aka. Windsor Castle
The Crown‘s most heated moments tend to come in the form of shock revelations or snarky quips. But this season, fans can look forward to something even more fiery – a literal fire at Windsor Castle. The 1992 blaze is one of the most hotly anticipated events of season five. Taking centre stage is likely to be Burghley House, the magnificent Tudor mansion which doubled up as Windsor Castle in season four, and also had starring roles in the 2005 adaption of Pride & Prejudice.
VISIT You can visit this stately home (minus the flames) and wander around it’s Capability Brown landscaped gardens anytime. There’s also a range of accommodation options on offer. burghley.co.uk
Somerleyton Hall aka. Sandringham
Sandringham – the Queen’s much loved East Anglian estate – is the Royals’ favourite place to spend Christmas, and where we left the cast of The Crown at the end of season four. Fellow East Anglian manor house Somerleyton Hall was chosen to recreate Sandringham’s opulent interiors on screen. The Jacobean Manor house features John Thomas architecture, Prince Albert’s favourite sculptor who worked on the houses of Parliament. Somerleyton Hall is a family home with portraits of the Crossley family through the generations and is currently run by Hugh Crossley, the 4th Baron Somerleyton.
VISIT Want to check it out for yourself? The gardens have just reopened to visitors, so you can spend a day picnicking and exploring in right royal style, somerleyton.co.uk. Better yet, the real Sandringham Royal Park is also open to visitors. sandringhamestate.co.uk
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