The Crown is back, with two new icons to greet us: Princess Diana (Emma Corrin) and Margaret Thatcher (Gillian Anderson).
Just as iconic though are the locations explored in season four, ranging from royal residences to cosy country piles. We’ve made ogling over aristocratic surrounds all the easier with our rundown of The Crown locations in the UK you can visit in real life.
1.Wilton House, Salisbury
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Wilton House (home to the Earl and Countess of Pembroke, just FYI) was used to recreate the lavish interiors of Buckingham Palace. The Palladian-style home, complete with 17th-century drawing rooms and an impressive art collection — which includes Rembrandt and van Dyck – could be best summed up as “palatial”. So, rather fitting then.
2. Lancaster House, London
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This 19th-century former royal residence on Pall Mall is a stone’s throw from the Queen’s real-life London residence, Buckingham Palace. In season four, Lancaster House was selected for those sneakier scenes where Camilla goes to visit Prince Charles at the palace. Side note: though usually closed to the public, every so often – for a special event – it will open its doors.
3. Ardverikie Estate, Inverness-shire
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Ardverikie Estate, plotted in the Scottish Highlands, serves as the backdrop for Balmoral Castle – the Queen’s Scottish residence. In episode two of season four, Ardverikie Estate appears every inch as regal as the real thing. The 19th century Scottish hunting lodge offers the perfect setup for visits of Margaret Thatcher and then Diana. Spoiler: the success rate of these visits differs considerably between both women.
4. Brocket Hall, Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire
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Charles and Diana’s London home, Kensington Palace, was filmed across two locations for season four. Location one: Harefield Grove in Hillingdon; location two: Brocket Hall near Welwyn Garden City. IRL, the latter, an 18th-century stately home, is currently owned by Baron Brocket (aka Charlie).
5. Somerley House, Hampshire
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Come episode four of season four, we clock Highgrove House, the one-time country home of Charles and Diana. Filmed at Somerley House in Hampshire, we imagine it’s the country house and estate’s beautiful gardens that clinched it for Somerley, matching those envisioned by Charles at Highgrove.
6. Burghley House, Stamford
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Belvoir Castle in Lincolnshire embodied Windsor Castle for three seasons, but this season it’s been swapped out for Burghley House in Stamford, Lincolnshire. The 16th-century house – complete with 18th-century gardens designed by Capability Brown – is no stranger to film crews, having appeared in Pride and Prejudice and other period dramas of that set. It will reopen to visitors in 2021.
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