The Crown is back for its sixth and final season, and with it comes feverish levels of excitement. About the storylines and new cast members, yes, but also in anticipation of the show’s extravagant sets and jaw-dropping filming locations, which have become just as compelling as the plots. This season Scotland plays a starring role, as the location where the young William and Kate first struck up their romance, while cathedrals in York and Winchester also get top billing. Here, we’ve rounded up the finest UK filming locations from The Crown season 6.Â
The Crown Season 6
Filming Locations
Lancaster House, London
This magnificent mansion in St James’s is a perfect stand-in for Buckingham Palace in The Crown, and is situated just around the corner from the royal abode. Originally commissioned in 1825 by the then-Duke of York, Lancaster House is now run by the Foreign Office, but it became best known as a high society destination for Lord Sutherland and his impressive art collection during the 1900s.Â
Inside you’ll find suitably opulent interiors, with grand, sweeping staircases and gilded ceilings. Fittingly, the house also has a royal connection – it’s said Queen Victoria loved attending functions here, while Winston Churchill hosted a coronation banquet for Queen Elizabeth II at the venue in 1953. Other locations that stand in for Buckingham Palace in the show include 18th-century Wrotham Park in Barnet, where the Queen’s audiences with her Prime Ministers are filmed, and the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, which is used for exterior shots.Â
Lancaster House, Stable Yard, St James’s, London SW1A 1BBÂ
gov.uk
St Andrews University, St Andrews
One of the main storylines in season 6 revolves around the period when William first fell in love with Kate Middleton. The pair met while studying at St Andrews University in Scotland in 2001, and The Crown was able to use the real-life university for filming. Many of the key scenes involving newcomers Ed McVey and Meg Bellamy, who play William and Kate respectively, were shot at the ancient academic institution, which was founded in 1413 and is one of the oldest universities in the world.
As well as filming in and around various university buildings, the production crew also took to the picturesque town’s streets and were spotted filming at popular Irish pub Molly Malone’s and at a mocked-up Italian restaurant, Pizzeria St Andrea, which stands in for a spot where Kate is captured working as a waitress.Â
University of St Andrews, College Gate, St Andrews, Scotland KY16 9AJ
st-andrews.ac.uk
Ardverikie House, Inverness-shire
Brooding, turreted Ardverikie House was built for a baronial deer-stalking enthusiast in the 19th century, who briefly served as Prince Albert’s Groom of the Stool, and has starred as Balmoral since season one of The Crown. Thanks to the fact that Scotland remains a particularly important location for the family in season 6, it retains a starring role.
The impressive lochside estate is home to thousands of red deer, as well as nesting pairs of golden eagles, ospreys and black-throated divers, which can all be spotted from one of their eight charming holiday cottages that are available to rent. Eagle-eyed fans will spot the fact that Ardverikie’s library, drawing room and staircase all featured in season 5 of the show.Â
Ardverikie House, Kinloch Laggan, Newtonmore, Inverness-shire PH20 1BX
ardverikie.com
Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire
One of the more controversial events tackled in season 6 of The Crown is that of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales (played by Elizabeth Debicki). As well as showing the car chase in Paris which led to the loss of life of both her and Dodi Fayed (Khalid Abdalla), the show also portrays her funeral, with Winchester Cathedral standing in for the London landmark of Westminster Abbey. This isn’t the first time the production team has filmed here – in season 3, they used the Cathedral for the funeral of Winston Churchill.
Built between 1079 and 1532, it’s known for being among the largest – and longest – Gothic cathedrals in Northern Europe. Once the seat of Anglo-Saxon and Norman royal power, the Cathedral has played host to kings and queens for centuries, including William the Conqueror, Mary Tudor and Prince Philip of Spain.
9 The Close, Winchester, Hampshire SO23 9LS
winchester-cathedral.org.uk
Dartmouth House, Mayfair
Lancaster House isn’t the only grand London abode featured in the series – opulent Dartmouth House in Mayfair also makes an appearance, standing in for the Hôtel Ritz in Paris, the last destination of Diana and Dodi. The Grade II Georgian building on Charles Street, just off Berkeley Square, is now home to the English-Speaking Union, an educational charity, and can be hired as a wedding venue.
Dartmouth House has a rich history. It was originally built in the mid-18th century and was converted by Lord Revelstoke into an elegant Mayfair townhouse in the later 19th century. Many stunning original period features remain inside, from the Robert Adams fireplace to the painted ceiling by Pierre-Victor Galland above the grand Belgian marble staircase. It was used as a family residence for Baron Revelstoke and Lord Dartmouth amongst others until the outbreak of war in 1914, when it was converted into a military Red Cross hospital.Â
37 Charles Street, Mayfair, London W1J 5ED
dartmouthhouse.co.uk
York Minster, York
Season 6 finishes in 2005 on a decidedly happy note: the marriage of Charles (Dominic West) and Camilla Parker Bowles (Olivia Williams). While the couple were married at St George’s Chapel in Windsor – the same venue as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s wedding in 2018 – in the show, the magnificent York Minster cathedral stands in for the royal chapel.
Dating back to the 14th century and Edward III, York Minster makes a particularly fitting substitute. A masterpiece in stained glass and stone, visitors here can explore the remains of a Roman barracks in the Undercroft Museum, or climb the 275 steps of the Central Tower for panoramic views over the city. As for Windsor itself, that was replicated by the town of Rochester in Kent in season 6 of The Crown, where the streets were decorated with bunting to celebrate the regal affair.Â
Deangate, York YO1 7HH
yorkminster.org
Burghley House, Lincolnshire
Of all the locations on this list, Burghley House may well be the grandest – so it’s no surprise that the Tudor mansion was chosen to represent Windsor Castle across several seasons of the show. Created by Lord High Treasurer to Queen Elizabeth I, William Cecil, in the 16th century and home to the Cecil family for 500 years, it remains one of the finest remaining examples of the great Elizabethan ‘prodigy’ houses.
The house and gardens are open during the spring and summer, where you can come to tour the family’s remarkable collection of Italian Old Masters and explore the Capability Brown-designed parkland.Â
Burghley House, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 3JYÂ
burghley.co.uk
Brocket Hall, Hertfordshire
This neo-classical country house – set in lush parkland just outside Welwyn Garden City – was built out of the same distinctive red brick as Kensington Palace, making the likeness between the two almost uncanny.
Previous owners have included former prime minister William Lamb, as well as some early bishops of Ely, while King Edward II hunted from the lodge here during his reign. Today, it is best known as a popular wedding venue and golf course, but visitors can also stay in Melbourne Lodge, an elegantly converted Georgian coach house in the grounds.Â
Brocket Hall, Welwyn, Hertfordshire AL8 7XGÂ
brocket-hall.co.uk
