If, like all Bridgerton fans, you have one question: ‘where was Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story filmed?’ read on. The hit Netflix show’s creator Shonda Rhimes has created a spin-off prequel that is sure to be as rich visually as it is in storytelling (and not short of a scandal or two). From the cityscape of Bath to a bucolic country estate in Wiltshire, here’s a look at the locations set to get screen-time in the new limited series.
Shonda Rhimes’ spin-off prequel to Bridgerton is soon to make its long-anticipated debut, and will no doubt have fans asking: where was Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story filmed? The new show, airing on Netflix on 4 May, will delve deep into the past of stand-out character Queen Charlotte, which will see Golda Rosheuvel return to the role with Line of Duty’s India Amarteifio playing the younger queen.
The limited series will take us back to Queen Charlotte’s first meeting with her husband, George III, exploring how she changed the British court, leading to the creation of the world of the Ton inherited by the characters in Bridgerton. Just like the main show, it’s set to be filled with gorgeous gowns, scandalous secrets and, above all, lustworthy locations. From a grandiose stately home in Wiltshire to a regal cottage in Kew, we’ve rounded up the key filming locations in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
Wilton House, Wiltshire
This stately home near Salisbury in Wiltshire has appeared numerous times in Bridgerton, standing in for Queen Charlotte’s opulent throne room, and will appear again as one of the Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story filming locations. It’s not hard to see why producers have returned to this palatial country house, which has been the seat of the Earls of Pembroke for over 450 years. It’s exquisite, both inside and out (alongside Bridgerton, you might also recognise it in The Crown, Emma, The Young Victoria, Sense & Sensibility…).
There’s the landscaped parkland and 14,000-acre estate, yes, but it’s the interiors which steal the show, including the ornate staterooms, most notably the Single Cube Room (one of a number of rooms designed by Inigo Jones). With its gilded furnishings, Cavalier D’Arpino-painted ceiling, intricate wall carvings and magnificent white marble chimney piece, it makes for the perfect regal backdrop.
Bath, Somerset
Bridgerton may be set in London – the first scenes for the spin-off were filmed in the capital, with Rosheuvel’s Charlotte spotted shooting a funeral scene there – but, as with the original show, Bath will feature heavily in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story. Hardly surprising, when you consider the city’s many splendid examples of Georgian architecture and its cobbled streets (complete with ‘period’ lampposts), which lend themselves perfectly to shooting historic town scenes.
The crew returned to film at the National Trust’s Bath Assembly Rooms. Designed by John Wood, the Rooms were completed in 1771 when they were described as the “most noble and elegant of any kingdom.” They will also likely film at the 19th-century Holburne Museum, near Sydney Gardens.
The city’s first public art gallery, it’s home to Sir William Holburn’s collection which includes Gainsborough, Stubbs and Guardi. In the original series these two locations were cleverly combined to create Lady Danbury’s house (the Assembly Rooms – with their ornate detailing and glittering chandeliers – were the setting of Lady Danbury’s ball where, you might remember, the Duke of Hastings, Simon Basset and Daphne Bridgerton first met).
Belton House, Lincolnshire
The team were spotted filming the Bridgerton spin-off at this country house near Grantham in Lincolnshire last year. Surely one of the most magnificent locations in Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story, it was built in the late 17th century and is renowned for its particularly fine facade. The seat of the aristocratic Brownlow family for 300 years, it’s now owned by the National Trust, who have also maintained the house’s impressively opulent interiors, which feature a dazzling collection of silver, porcelain and a world-renowned library.
Set in 1,300 acres, which includes an ancient deer park, grazing sheep and woodland, the formal gardens are something to behold, featuring a striking cast-iron orangery and fountain. No doubt we’ll see some of the show’s characters taking a turn around the pleasure grounds and gossiping by the lake. The house is no stranger to the small screen, having appeared as Lady Catherine de Bourgh’s estate in the classic BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, as well as in Bleak House and Jane Eyre.
Frogmore Cottage, Windsor
We’ll have to wait and see whether Frogmore Cottage in Windsor Great Park – a regal abode with significant history – appears in the Bridgerton spin-off. It once belonged to Queen Charlotte, who bought Frogmore House – the larger, grander house on the estate – in the late 18th century as a country retreat when her husband’s health started to deteriorate. A few years later, in 1801, she commissioned an addition to the grounds in the form of Frogmore Cottage, which was to be used by her daughters.
Now, of course, the Cottage is famous for belonging to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, granted to them as their official residence by Her Majesty the Queen. The royal couple renovated the Grade II listed building extensively, turning it into a five-bedroom property, and reportedly adding two orangeries, a vegetable garden and a yoga studio. It’s a place close to their hearts – they had their engagement photos taken in the grounds of Frogmore House, and their evening wedding reception was held there. While Harry and Meghan now live in the States, the Cottage has new tenants – Princess Eugenie and her husband, Jack Brooksbank.
Kew Gardens, Richmond
Another filming location that features in the Bridgerton spin-off is Kew Gardens in Richmond. The gardens began life in 1759, when Princess Augusta, mother of George III, founded a nine-acre botanic garden within the pleasure grounds at Kew. Some years later, Queen Charlotte built a small cottage in the gardens, on the banks of the Thames.
An early example of cottage orné (a rustic cottage built as a retreat, not a residence), it was used by the royal family for resting and taking tea. Behind the cottage was a paddock, where George III and Queen Charlotte kept oriental cattle and Tarytarian pheasants. From the early 1790s, kangaroos were also kept – and successfully bred – there, until 1806 when the paddock was turned into a flower garden.
These days, while you might not see kangaroos, Kew is a wonderful place to visit. London’s largest UNESCO World Heritage Site, the gardens house the world’s most diverse collection of living plants. Visit the stunning glasshouses – including Temperate House, home to 1,500 species of plants. Plus, there’s the Arboretum, the Great Pagoda, Kew Palace (the former summer residence of King George III), the 320-metre Great Broad Walk Borders, the Japanese gardens, Waterlily House, the treetop walkway and so much more…
The Ranger’s House, Greenwich
You might also spy the Ranger’s House amongst the Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story filming locations. Set on the boundary of Greenwich Park and Blackheath, the elegant villa has been used in the original series as the exterior of the Bridgerton family’s home (wisteria and ivy were added to the asymmetrical red brick and Portland stone facade to make it more enchanting).
Originally built in 1723, it was the home of aristocrats and royals until 1902, at one time belonging to Augusta, Duchess of Brunswick, the elder sister of George III. These days Ranger’s House is home to the unique art collection of 19th century diamond magnate Sir Julius Wernher. Often cited as one of the greatest private collections ever assembled in Europe, over 700 works are on display, including mediaeval sculptures, ornate jewellery, Renaissance paintings, Dutch Old Masters and French tapestries.
