How to stay at The Crown's Balmoral and Kensington Palace filming locations
The Crown has become the saving grace of the UK’s second lockdown.
The fourth season, which dropped on Netflix on Sunday, is satiating our need for royal drama, and the beautiful filming locations have been piquing our curiosity too.
In fact, this season of The Crown used more than 90 filming locations to make sure the look and feel of each scene was just right.
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Luckily, two filming locations – one that depicts Balmoral and the other as a stand-in for Kensington Palace – are hotels, which means we have our post-lockdown holiday plans sorted.
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How to stay at ‘Balmoral’
Unless you’re the prime minister or betrothed to a member of the fold, it’s unlikely you’ll receive an invitation to the actual Balmoral - the Scottish castle and 50,000 acres of land the Queen and Prince Philip escape to each summer.
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Which is why a stay at Ardverikie House, used for exterior shots of Balmoral in the Netflix series, should do the trick.
The family-owned hotel sits on an impressive 38,000 acres on the shores of Loch Laggan in Scotland. It boasts six self-catering holiday cottages, each uniquely different, which sleep between three and 13 guests.
For a cosy getaway, opt for Gatelodge, a small castle-like structure complete with a fairytale turret and a spiral staircase.
Prices for Gatelodge start from £785 per week during the winter months, ardverikie.com
How to stay at ‘Kensington Palace’
While we can find Kensington Palace at the western end of Hyde Park, the filming crew for The Crown opted to recreate the Palace at Brocket Hall, a hotel and golf resort just north of London.
Guests wanting to spend a night or two at the estate will stay in Melbourne Lodge, its 18th century Grade I-listed Georgian coach house conversion.
Its 16 luxury rooms are the ideal place to perch after a dinner at the on-site restaurant, Auberge du Lac.
Do keep in mind the restaurant is closed until April 2021, which gives you the perfect excuse for a late spring getaway.
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Rooms start from £195 per night, brocket-hall.co.uk
