Real-life locations of Season 6 of The Crown worth visiting
British sites where the hit Netflix show filmed its final season
The final season of Netflix royal drama The Crown airs this week and covers one of the most dramatic eras of the Royal Family, from the death of Diana, in 1997, right up to the marriage of Charles and Camilla in 2005.
Over its years, The Crown has filmed in many of Britain’s finest stately homes and estates, so as Season 6 airs, here’s the locations worth visiting:
Winchester Cathedral
To recreate the funeral of Diana, which took place on September 6, 1997, The Crown headed to Winchester Cathedral in Hampshire. It’s one of the finest medieval cathedrals in the world and along with the pretty city on the edge of the South Downs National Park, worth a visit. winchester-cathedral.org.uk
Westminster Abbey
The real location of Diana’s funeral was, of course, Westminster Abbey - where monarchs have been crowned and mourned for 1000 years, along with hundreds of other notables buried there. If you have never visited its historic halls, then add it to your to-do list. westminster-abbey.org
St Andrews
The final season of The Crown headed to St Andrews in Scotland to shoot scenes of a young Kate Middleton and Prince William (Meg Bellamy and Ed McVey) meeting at St Andrews university. Founded in the 15th century as Scotland’s first university, the city is also famous as the birthplace of golf and is full of courses and five-star hotels, such as Fairmont St Andrews. visitscotland.com and fairmont.com
York Minster
The Crown concludes with the 2005 wedding of Charles and Camilla, which in real life took place in a civil ceremony in Windsor’s Guildhall, then a service at St George’s Chapel. However, the crew travelled up north to York to York Minster, which doubled as the royal chapel. Again, for anyone who has never been to the grand cathedral, or York, this fabulous and pretty city is worth adding to any itinerary. yorkminster.org
St George’s Chapel and Windsor Castle
The real St George’s Chapel sits in the grounds of Windsor Castle and is where the Queen is buried. Windsor Castle was founded in the 11th century and is the oldest occupied castle in the world. It’s one of my favourite royal homes I have visited and both the castle and St George’s are medieval marvels. rct.uk
Ardverikie Estate
Balmoral Castle has been played by Ardverikie Estate in Iverness throughout The Crown and features in the final season. Also famous as Glenbogle in Monarch of the Glen, the 19th century castle is in a vast deer park. Its estate is open to walkers and you can rent one of its holiday cottages. ardverikie.com
Balmoral Castle
The real Balmoral, however, is in Aberdeenshire. Originally bought in 1852 by Prince Albert, for Queen Victoria, it was much loved by the late Queen and was where she passed away last year. Its grounds are also open to visitors and you can rent holiday cottages in the estate. balmoralcastle.com
Burghley House
The Crown has used Burghley House in Lincolnshire as a stand-in for Windsor Castle in previous seasons, including recreating its fire in 1992. Crews returned to the magnificent Elizabethan estate in Stamford for the final season. They also used nearby Belvoir Castle in Leicestershire, which is the home of the Duke of Rutland, as another double for Windsor. Both houses are open to visitors, burghley.co.uk and belvoircastle.com
Buckingham Palace
Finally, The Crown used Buckingham Palace’s neighbour Lancaster House as a stand-in for scenes at the palace because the interiors of the grand house, originally built for the Duke of York, are very similar. It has a red and gold staircase, Grand Hall and Long Gallery. Ironically, you can’t visit Lancaster House, which is owned by the Foreign Office, but you can visit the real thing, Buckingham Palace, in the summer and now on guided tours through the winter. rct.uk
The Crown Season 6 starts on Netflix, on Thursday