Everyone’s favourite real-life British Monarchy drama, The Crown, is returning to the small screen for its fifth season this November – and we’ve hunted down all the coolest filming locations that you can explore. The royal series follows the life and reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II and Season 5 will see her face what was perhaps the toughest period of her reign: the 90s.
With a whole new cast of stars – including Elizabeth Debicki as Diana and Imelda Staunton as Queen Elizabeth II – we’ll enjoy a fictionalised retelling of the historical events and intense drama of the 90s, including the breakdown of three royal marriages and a huge fire at Windsor Castle.
As with previous seasons of the show, access to Buckingham Palace itself wasn’t possible, but the The Crown’s producers did splash the cash on filming locations in lavish castles, stately homes and beautiful estates across the UK and Spain. If you’re wondering where The Crown filmed instead, we’ve found a few of the top locations featured in Season 5.
This season’s release will be all the more poignant as the first season of TV show to be released since the deaths of Prince Philip in 2021 and Queen Elizabeth II in September 2022.
Mallorca
Even on holiday in Spain, Diana (played by Elizabeth Deblecki) and Prince Charles (Dominic West) couldn’t escape from the paparazzi. The Crown’s film crew recreated 1991 holiday memories in Spain using the Spanish island of Mallorca for the series. A glamorous speedboat set the stage for when the royal couple and their children were papped at the beachside town of Andratx. Of course, you too could rent a speedboat in Mallorca (or join our Best of Spain tour).
Scotland
We know the Queen loved Scotland and so the nation continues to star heavily in Season 5. Yes, this season we can expect more scenes at Balmoral Castle, the royal summer residence in Aberdeenshire. Again, The Crown used Ardverikie House and its estate near Inverness as the filming locations for the famous castle. This 19th-century former traditional Highland sporting estate sits on the shores of Loch Laggan and bears a huge likeness to the true royal residence. You can step inside the massive 38,000-acre estate and tour the reception rooms if you book a night’s stay there.
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London
Princess Diana had plenty of high-profile encounters with the paparazzi in the 90s, and to recreate these scenes there’s nowhere better than London. The Crown crew used filming locations in Croydon, near the Fairfield Halls. After separating with Prince Charles, Diana kept Kensington Palace as her residence and The Crown filming for this took place across two locations – Harefield Grove in Hillingdon, and Brocket Hall near Welwyn Garden City. Both stately homes are from the late 18th and early 19th centuries and have been used for other film productions through the decades. Want the royal treatment yourself? You can stay at Brocket Hall, which is also a golf course and hotel.
Where was Buckingham Palace when The Crown crew picked filming locations? Well, a home that grand actually needed several estates and a movie studio set to recreate. Playing the part of Buckingham Palace were Lancaster House on Pall Mall in London, Wrotham Park in Barnet, and Wilton House near Salisbury. For the exterior shots, the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich stepped in.
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Lincolnshire
Windsor Castle is practically a character in the latest season of The Crown as it faces disastrous events. Stepping in as the famous castle was none other than Burghley House in Stamford. This Crown filming location is a 16th-century house still owned by the family of Sir William Cecil, who first built the estate. You might recognise it from Season 4!
Yorkshire
In 1995 the Queen and Prince Philip took Prince Charles and Diana to Moscow on a royal visit. So how do The Crown film a Russian town in the UK? It heads to Little Germany in the town of Bradford, West Yorkshire. The crew redressed Forster Square to look like the Russian Capital.
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Sussex
The magnificent seafront Queens Hotel in Eastbourne is featured in the final scenes of Season 5. The Netflix big-budget royal drama took over the halls of the grand old hotel – and not for the first time. This magnificent Victorian-era hotel starred in The Crown in Season 3 too. If you want to visit yourself, book at night and enjoy ‘the UK’s sunniest place’. The charming seaside resort town is the perfect place for a short, relaxing break.
The Crown Season 5 will stream on Netflix from 9 November 2022. Will you be watching or visiting any of these The Crown filming locations? Leave us a comment…