Few films and TV shows have been as ambitious as Netflix’s The Crown in depicting the real-life (almost) history of the British Royal Family from the early 20th century to 2005. The Crown filming locations are also lofty, extravagant, and beautiful thanks to the bloated budget. So, where was The Crown filmed?
This guide covers the most iconic and prolific filming locations The Crown used from season one to six. It covers stately homes, theatres, and all manner of places visited by Queen Elizabeth II in her various forms (Claire Foy, Olivia Coleman, and Imelda Staunton).
Elstree Studios stood in for many interior scenes, but most of the series was shot on location. Many spots are in London and the home counties, but you’ll find locations elsewhere in England, Scotland, Wales, and beyond.
I’ve worked hard to list the locations and real-life destinations they were a stand-in for, plus the season where they were featured. Along with the map, this guide will help you plan a tour of The Crown locations so you travel to the right places!
If I’ve made a mistake, I’m only human! Let me know in the comments so I can fix it. But without further stalling, let’s check out this groundbreaking show’s most opulent and cinematic locations.
Where Was The Crown Filmed?
The Crown Filming Locations in the United Kingdom
1. Wilton House in Wiltshire
Where: Buckingham Palace
When: Season 1 – 6
So, is The Crown actually filmed at Buckingham Palace? Unfortunately, it isn’t. By my count, no fewer than seven locations (eight if you include the studios!) stood in as the Monarch’s primary residence. Wilton House is owned by the Earl of Pembroke. It’s a popular filming location and appears in Pride & Prejudice (2005), Bridgerton (2020 – ), and many TV shows and films.
Several smaller rooms in Wilton House, including its Double Cube Room, stand in for rooms in Buckingham Palace. The Dining Room and Ballroom are located here.
Read next: Pride & Prejudice Filming Locations Guide
2. Lancaster House in London
Where: Buckingham Palace
When: Season 1 – 6
Another of the most prolific The Crown filming locations for Buckingham Palace is Lancaster House. The Queen’s office, the staterooms, and the atrium are here.
3. Wrotham Park in Hertfordshire
Where: Buckingham Palace, Gatcombe Park, and Kensington Palace
When: Season 1 – 6
Wrotham Park is a 3-in-1 filming location for The Crown! It stands in as the Audience Room where the Queen meets with her various prime ministers.
It’s also the interior and exterior location for Princess Anne’s estate, Gatcombe Park, from Season 4 onwards. Production filmed some Kensington Palace scenes here too.
4. Old Royal Naval College in London
Where: Buckingham Palace
When: Season 1 – 6
This beautiful Greenwich building stood in a handful of times as the Buckingham Palace exteriors. However, most exteriors (including the famous gate) are actually recreations on Elstree Studios backlot!
The Painted Hall in the Old Royal Naval College featured in season three when Olivia Colman’s Queen Elizabeth II gave a rousing speech. It’s one of the most-filmed monuments in London.
Read next: Four Weddings & a Funeral Filming Locations Guide
5. Moor Park in Hertfordshire
Where: Buckingham Palace
When: Season 1 – 6
This is the Buckingham Palace location I know the least about. Many sites list it as a location, possibly an exterior location for Buckingham Palace, but that’s as far as my knowledge extends.
6. Goldsmiths Hall in London
Where: Buckingham Palace
When: Season 1
Goldsmiths Hall was only featured as one of The Crown filming locations for season one. It was used as the operating theatre for King George VI.
7. Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire
Where: Buckingham Palace and The Ritz Paris Hotel
When: Season 1 – 3, Season 5
Many reports state that Waddesdon Manor stood in for Buckingham Palace for the first three seasons, but I can’t find any more specifics. I do know that it stood in for the interiors of The Ritz Paris when Mohamed Al Fayed (Salim Daw) bought the hotel in season five. The crew couldn’t get permission to film at the real-life location.
8. Ardverikie Estate in the Cairngorms
Where: Balmoral Castle
When: Season 1 – 6
You’ll be pleased to learn that there are many The Crown filming locations in Scotland. But everyone wants to know where the scenes set at Balmoral Castle, the Monarch’s summer residency, were filmed.
Ardverikie Estate exterior stood in for the royal castle, although rarely used for any interior shots. This gorgeous stately home on the outskirts of the Cairngorms National Park was also the location for Glen Bogle in the beloved BBC drama Monarch of the Glen (2000 – 2005).
9. Knebworth House in Stevenage
Where: Balmoral Castle
When: Season 1 – 6
Knebworth House was one of the main The Crown filming locations which stood in for the interiors of Balmoral Castle. This stately home is no stranger to the silver screen and has also appeared in films like The King’s Speech (2010) and Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga (2020).
Read next: Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga Locations Guide
10. St Paul’s Cathedral in London
Where: St Paul’s Cathedral
When: Season 3 – 4
This is our first filming location for The Crown which played itself on screen! St Paul’s Cathedral appears in season three as the setting for Winston Churchill’s funeral (played by John Lithgow). It (very) briefly appears in season four as the cathedral is where Prince Charles (Josh O’Connor) and Princess Diana (Emma-Louise Corrin) married in real life.
11. Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire
Where: St Paul’s Cathedral and Westminster Abbey
When: Season 3 – 4, Season 6
But St Paul’s Cathedral is a busy place! It can’t be shut down for days at the whims of film crews. Neither can Westminster Abbey. So, Winchester Cathedral stood in for Churchill’s funeral and Charles and Diana’s wedding whenever the famous London church couldn’t.
Winchester Cathedral also doubled up as Westminster Abbey in season six for Diana’s funeral.
12. Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire
Where: Westminster Abbey
When: Season 1
But where was The Crown filmed during the Queen Elizabeth’s wedding and coronation scenes at Westminster Abbey? The beautiful Ely Cathedral stood in for those scenes! It must bear a striking resemblance as the team behind The King’s Speech also filmed in this cathedral as a stand-in for the abbey.
Located on the banks of the scenic River Cam, Ely makes a great base for canal boat holidays in Cambridgeshire.
Read next: The King’s Speech Filming Locations Guide
13. Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire
Where: Windsor Castle
When: Season 1 – 3
All of the British Royal Family’s residences make an appearance in one form or another over the six seasons. Windsor Castle was portrayed on screen by Belvoir Castle from season one to season three.
14. Burghley House in Lincolnshire
Where: Windsor Castle
When: Season 4 – 6
I’m not sure why Burghley Castle became one of The Crown filming locations from season four to six instead of Belvoir Castle. Most stately homes in England generate revenue through public access so it could be that the owners simply didn’t want to close for filming anymore.
Who knows! Either way, Burghley House became one of the main The Crown filming locations for the second half of the series as Windsor Castle. The infamous castle fire scene was located here.
15. York Minster in Yorkshire
Where: St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle
When: Season 6
Princes Charles (Dominic West) and Camilla Parker-Bowles (Olivia Williams) finally tied the knot in season six. But as divorcees, they couldn’t exchange vows in a lavish Westminster Abbey wedding. Instead, they got married at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
But you might be surprised to learn that York Minster, the northern city’s beautiful cathedral, was the location. It’s much grander than a humble chapel!
16. West Wycombe Park in Buckinghamshire
Where: Villa Windsor in Bois de Boulogne outside Paris
When: Season 5
Mohamed Al-Fayed enters the scene in season five. He buys and renovates the dilapidated Villa Windsor, the Duke of Windsor’s former French home in a misguided effort to curry favour with the Queen. He’s also responsible for the house’s tacky name.
The interiors of the villa were filmed at West Wycombe Park. It also appears in Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001)!
Read next: Bridget Jones Filming Locations: All 3 Films Guide
17. Halton House in Buckinghamshire (RAF Halton)
Where: Villa Windsor in Bois de Boulogne outside Paris
When: Season 5
And the exterior of Villa Windsor is Halton House! When you want to know, “Where is The Crown filmed?”, always expect two answers.
18. Hylands House in Chelmsford
Where: The White House
When: Season 3
Princess Margeret (Helene Bonham Carter) flies across the pond to represent Queen Elizabeth on a tour to the United States. One of the most iconic The Crown filming locations of season three is The White House.
The production stayed a little closer to home and used Hylands House in Chelmsford as a stand-in for President Lyndon B. Johnson’s home.
19. The Cunard Building in Liverpool
Where: Washington D.C.
When: Season 3
For shots of other places in Washington D.C., filming took place around The Cunard Building near the Docks and North John Street in Liverpool. This north England city is only two and a half hours by train from London. It’s a great place to travel for a UK city break by train.
20. Northern Quarter in Manchester
Where: New York City
When: Season 4
In the last episode of the season, Princess Diana visits an AIDS ward in New York City. But as with D.C., the crew didn’t leave the British Isles. Manchester’s Northern Quarter neighbourhood (particularly around Stevenson Square) filled in for the east coast city.
This Manchester neighbourhood has stood in for NYC on SO many occasions. Just some other films include Alfie (2004), Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), and Morbius (2022).
21. Caernarfon Castle in Gwynedd
Where: Caernarfon Castle
When: Season 3
In 1969, Prince Charles took part in an investiture ceremony at Caernarfon Castle where he officially took the title of Prince of Wales. The Crown recreated this historic event in season three, and filmed it at the real-life location in North Wales!
22. Cwmaman in Carmarthenshire
Where: Aberfan
When: Season 3
Wales played a large role in season three of The Crown, but it sadly wasn’t always for positive reasons. The Aberfan 1966 mining disaster was the focal point of an entire episode.
For obvious reasons, the production didn’t film those scenes in Aberfan. The nearby town of Cwmaman stood in with further filming at Blaenavon’s Big Pit National Coal Museum. Glynhafod Junior School stood in as Pantglas Junior School.
23. St Andrews in Fife
Where: St Andrews
When: Season 6
So many of The Crown filming locations in season six were in St Andrews. Prince William (Ed McVey) attended the University of St Andrews where he met his future wife, Catherine Middleton (Meg Bellamy).
You can see many locations around the city and many are authentic, if not very close. Prince William jogs along St Andrews Harbor and attends classes at the University of St Andrews. He even moves into 13A Hope Street which, in the series, was filmed at 9B Hope Street only a few doors down!
24. Slains Castle in Aberdeenshire
Where: Castle Mey
When: Season 1
Queen Elizabeth I (Victoria Hamilton) bought Castle Mey in the 1950s as a place where she could privately mourn the death of her husband. She picked a great place for privacy because Castle Mey is in Caithness, on the north coast of Scotland.
Slains Castle a little further southeast in Aberdeenshire stood in for the exteriors. It’s a ruined castle so it couldn’t stand in for the interiors.
25. Hatfield House in Hertfordshire
Where: Marlborough House
When: Season 1
Elizabeth I walks down a long corridor before she enters a room and is told she has ascended to the throne. This is supposed to be Marlborough House, home of the Queen’s widowed grandmother Queen Mary. Hatfield House features in many films like The King’s Speech (2010) and The Favourite (2018).
Read next: The Favourite Filming Locations Guide
26. Coliseum Theatre in London
Where: Dominium Theatre
When: Season 5
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip (Jonathan Pryce) attend the 1995 Royal Variety performance instead of watching Princess Diana’s Panorama interview. While the Dominion Theatre in London hosted the real-life event, the scene was shot elsewhere on the West End in the equally beautiful Coliseum Theatre.
27. Wellington College in Berkshire
Where: Kensington Palace
When: Season 4 – 6
No fewer than four The Crown filming locations in season five stood in for Kensington Palace. Although this royal residence featured in other seasons, it was Prince Charles and Princess Diana’s home together and she continued to reside there towards the end of their tumultuous marriage.
Wellington College was just one of these locations. It stood in for the palace’s exteriors (including Diana’s last meeting with her sons) and Diana’s panorama interview.
28. Harefield Grove in Hillingdon
Where: Kensington Palace
When: Season 4 – 6
I’m not 100% sure which parts of Harefield Grove stood in as Kensington Palace in The Crown, but I’m betting it’s the interiors.
29. Brocket Hall in Welwyn Garden City
Where: Kensington Palace
When: Season 4 – 6
Again, I can only assume that Brocket Hall stood in for some of Kensington Palace‘s interiors. Coincidentally, this beautiful country house also appeared in The Queen (2006) which was written by The Crown‘s creator, Peter Morgan.
30. Englefield House in Reading
Where: Sandringham House
When: Season 2 – 3
Sandringham House is where the Royals tend to spend their Christmas holidays. In the early seasons, the crew shot interior scenes at this royal residence in Englefield House and the nearby St Mark’s Church. But it would only be utilised as one of The Crown filming locations in seasons two and three.
31. Somerleyton Hall in Suffolk
Where: Sandringham House
When: Season 4
In season four, Somerleyton Hall stood in for the interior scenes set in Sandringham House. I’m not sure why the crew had to find a different location, but that’s what they did!
32. Somerley House in Hampshire
Where: Highgrove House
When: Season 4 – 6
Highgrove House, Prince Charles’s Gloucestershire hideaway, was a new location in season four. Somerley House (not to be confused with the previous filming location!) stood in for this estate.
33. Ragley Hall in Warwickshire
Where: Althorp Estate
When: Season 4
Prince Charles meets Diana at the beginning of season four at her family estate, Althorp. Although he’s dating her sister Sarah at the time, he falls for her younger 16-year-old sister. Ragley Hall is the location used for these scenes.
34. High Canons House in Hertfordshire
Where: Clarence House
When: Season 4 – 6
Before she became queen, Elizabeth grew up at Clarence House and the Queen Mother lived with Princess Margaret in the later seasons. High Canons House stood in for the London estate’s exteriors.
35. Lamport Hall in Northamptonshire
Where: Clarence House and Windsor Castle
When: Season 4 – 6
Finally, Lamport Hall was used for scenes inside Clarence House. As a bonus, its stables stood in for the interiors and exteriors of Windsor Castle’s Stables!
That’s a Wrap on The Crown Filming Locations!
This is nowhere near an exhaustive list of all The Crown filming locations across all six seasons. Although you will find the interior and exterior locations of all the top royal residences, and then some. So, if you’re wondering, “Where was The Crown filmed?”, hopefully, this post has answered that question!
Are you watching The Crown for the first time or re-watching the series? Do you plan on visiting any of the locations? Let me know in the comments!
