The Crown season 6 filming locations: where was final series filmed, can you visit featured stately homes

The final season of The Crown comes to Netflix in two parts over November and December. The historical drama has followed the life of the royal family from the death of King George VI in 1952 to the divorce of Charles and Diana in 1996.

Season six will follow the death of Diana in Paris, and the fallout from the loss of the ‘people’s princess’ on the royal family and the British people. Kate Middleton is also introduced in the final season, as she meets Prince William at university, the deaths of Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother will feature, and the show will come to an end with the wedding of Charles and Camilla.

The momentous events covered deserve a grand setting, and for The Crown’s final outing producers secured some of the most recognisable estates across the UK to stand in for royal residences and palaces. This is everything you need to know about where The Crown season six was filmed?

Where is The Crown season 6 filmed?

Production for much of The Crown takes place at Elstree Studios, where many popular British films and shows have been shot over the last 95 years. Gangs of London, Grantchester, and Strictly Come Dancing are among the other shows filmed there.

But The Crown is also known for its lavish sets, many of which make use of iconic stately homes across the country. In season six, Burghley House in Peterborough stands in for Windsor Castle, which was damaged by a fire in 1992 - in season six the royal residence has been restored following a £32 million facelift.

Much of the action in the first half of season six takes place in France, as Diana makes several visits to the country with her partner Dodi Fayed, the last visit ending in tragedy. On the final night of their lives, Diana and Dodi went for dinner in the Imperial suite of the Ritz Paris. In the show Dartmouth House, a gorgeous Georgian property in Mayfair stands in for the glamorous hotel.

The final season of The Crown brings us ever closer to what will be for many viewers recent history, and the second half of the season introduces Meg Bellamy as a young Kate Middleton, who meets her future husband Prince William when the pair are studying at the University of St Andrews. For these scenes, producers were able to film on location at the 600 year old Scottish university.

Winchester Cathedral stars as Westminster Abbey, which has a sombre role in the last season as the setting for the funeral of Princess Diana. The real event was watched by more than 30 million people in the UK and around 2 billion people worldwide. Winchester Cathedral was built in the same gothic style as Westminster and both buildings are almost 1000 years old, making it an appropriate stand in.

It wouldn’t be The Crown without scenes in Buckingham Palace, the primary residence of Queen Elizabeth II for most of her reign. Of course, actually filming in the royal home was not going to happen, so Lancaster House, which has previously featured in The King’s Speech, Downton Abbey, and The Young Victoria, was used for interior scenes.

Ardverikie Estate, a 19th-century Scottish baronial house which recently appeared in The Buccaneers, represents Balmoral Castle, the queen’s Scottish residence, in the final series. In the days following Princess Diana’s death, Queen Elizabeth stayed at Balmoral with William and Harry, and these moments will feature in the series.

York Minster serves as St George’s Chapel, where the wedding of Charles and Camilla took place in 2005. This will feature in the season finale of the show and filming took place over the course of a week in April this year at the Minster.

Can you visit The Crown filming locations?

Most of the filming locations featured in the final season are open to the public. Burghley House is open from March to October, but the gardens stay open until December 17, so there’s still time to book an outdoor visit this year.

As St Andrews is a university, you are able to wander around the campus for free, although if you want to have a proper look inside you may have to sign up for a three-year course. 

Winchester Cathedral is open to visitors on various days throughout the year, but it is best to check the website to plan your visit - it is also open for services on Christmas Day. Ardverikie Estate is open on weekdays from 8am-4.30pm, and York Minster is open seven days a week.

Only Lancaster House and Dartmouth House are closed to the public, the former is by invitation only and the latter is the headquarters of the English-Speaking Union and is open only to members.

When is part two of 'The Crown' Season 6 on Netflix?

The second part of 'The Crown' Season 6 will arrive on Netflix on December 14 2023 at 8am GMT