Last Updated on 7th May 2023 by Sophie Nadeau
Hot on the heels of the hit TV period drama Bridgerton, Queen Charlotte is a Netflix spin-off detailing the life and times of Queen Charlotte, a central character in the Bridgerton franchise. Here are some of the best Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story filming locations that you can visit for yourself!
Please note that the following article may contain spoilers for Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story.
Contents
Is Queen Charlotte: A Bridgerton Story based on real life?
Yes and no. Queen Charlotte was a real person who was born on the 19th May 1744 as Sophia Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz. At the age of just 17 years old, Charlotte married King George III on the 8th September 1761.
King George III and Queen Charlotte both appear in the show, though most of the other characters, dramas, and happenings are historical reimaginings of Georgian England (around 40 years prior to the events of the Bridgerton series).
The story on the show is set between two time periods, with young Queen Charlotte being played by India Amarteifio and present day Queen Charlotte (as sene in Bridgerton seasons 1 & 2) being played by Golda Rosheuvel. It would appear that this is a limited series (limited to one season) and that there are no current plans for a second instalment.
Queen Charlotte Filming Locations
Blenheim Palace
One of the most regal and beautiful Palaces in the UK, Blenheim Palace stars in the show as what was then known as Buckingham House (though you may know it as Buckingham Palace today!) In the show, Blenheim Palace was used for the show’s final ball scene.
Blenheim Palace itself was constructed in 1722 and is a fitting backdrop for the show as the real life Queen Charlotte and King Edward III were good friends with the owners, who at the time were the fourth Duke and Duchess of Marlborough.
It’s said that the Royal duo were so amazed following a visit to Blenheim Palace that they went home and quickly went to work renovating their own Buckingham House.
Today, Blenheim Palace is a UNESCO listed World Heritage Site and can be visited. Blenheim Palace also happens to be the birthplace of Winston Churchill. Purchase your Blenheim Palace Admission Ticket here.
Belton House
As you’ll soon discover from reading about the best filming locations from Queen Charlotte, period houses feature heavily in the series and many of them can be visited by the public today for a fee.
Belton House in Lincolnshire is used in the show as the home of George III and Queen Charlotte, though in real life they actually resided in Kew House (which still exists but was deemed too small to be a filming location).
The grounds were also used for scenes that were meant to depict Kew Observatory and Buckingham House Orangery. Another key moment of the show that was filmed at Belton House was George’s treatment scenes.
If visitors want to see Belton House for themselves, they should note that it is now owned and managed by the National Trust. Both the gardens and part of the interior of the mansion can be explored.
Keen eyed movie watchers may also recognise Belton House from The Young Victoria, Pride and Prejudice and Jane Eyre. You can either pay to enter or buy a yearly National Trust membership, which will allow you access to dozens of period homes as part of the initial fee.
Dorney Court
The Tudor Mansion in the show where the Danburys reside before gaining a title is the real life Dorney Court. This 600 year old manor house is located in Buckinghamshire to the west of London. Owned by the Palmer family, the house is open on a seasonal basis and is set to reopen to the public in June.
Firle Place
The privately owned estate was used to depict Ledger Estate in the show. Lady Danbury and Queen Charlotte are not the only two fan favourites from Bridgerton who are depicted in their younger years.
Violet Bridgerton, who was then known as Violet Ledger is also shown and her childhood home is Ledger Estate. The Estate is actually open to the public on a seasonal basis and is also available as a Wedding Venue. Find more details on their website.
Hampton Court Palace
Hampton Court Palace was one of the favourite residences of King Henry VIII (i.e. the King with the six wives) and now boasts no fewer than six oversized fireplaces in the Kitchens, and over a thousand other rooms to explore.
The Palace was used as a stand in filming location to represent St. James’s Palace in both some exterior and interior scenes. Other parts of Hampton Court Palace were used to stand in for exteriors and interiors of the Danburys estate after they gained their titles. Another place used to depict the Danburys’ estate is Badminton Estate.
From central London, it couldn’t be easier to make the excursion to Surrey, the county where Hampton Court is based. In order to reach the former Royal Residence, there are actually a few options.
The first option is that you could take a train to within a five-minute stroll of the palace. Hampton Court station runs regular daytime trains between Waterloo Station and the Palace and stops off at key stations such as Vauxhall, Clapham Junction, Earlsfield, and Wimbledon.
Alternatively, it’s perfectly possible to get off the tube at Wimbledon or Richmond and then catch the bus. From Kingston, you can catch the 111, 216, 411, 461, 513, whereas the R68 runs from Richmond.
If you want to plan out more of your visit before you actually arrive, you might consider purchasing your entrance tickets in advance. Buy your Hampton Court Palace and Gardens entrance tickets here.
Hatfield House
Hatfield House in Hertfordshire is used as a filming location several times within the show. The first is when Charlotte tries to get a glimpse of the Young George.
There is another scene filmed at Hatfield House where Charlotte and George first meet in the garden. Hatfield House is open to the public seasonally (i.e. during the summer months) when its house and gardens can be visited for a fee.
Merton College
Located in the picturesque city of Oxford, Merton College is one of the most prestigious Colleges that make up Oxford University. And ,of course, Oxford University is no stranger to being used as a filming location and is even where large parts of Harry Potter was filmed.
In the show, Merton College (and specifically its CollegeChapel) is used to film royal wedding ceremony, which took place in real life at St James’ Chapel.
The chapel in Oxford was not only chosen because of its beauty, but also because the pews face one another within the ecclesiastical building. Now, Merton College, including its chapel, can be visited by the public for the fee of £5.00.
Syon House
Located in In the show, it’s used to depict some scenes which were meant to be set in St James’ Palace. Syon House itself was built in the 16th-century (and rebuilt in the 18th-century) and is the west London residence of the Duke of Northumberland.
Today, the Grade I listed building is set amidst 200 acres of land and Syon House, Gardens and Great Conservatory are open from spring through to autumn.
Waddesdon Manor
Fans with keen eyes will soon note that this isn’t the first time that Waddesdon Manor has been used as a filming location in the Bridgerton Franchise. In Queen Charlotte, the period Rothschild home was used to depict the house where romance developed between Lady Danbury and Lord Ledger.
Wilton House
Wilton House (close to Salisbury) is yet another mansion that has previously been used in Bridgerton, as well as other Netflix series such as The Crown. In Queen Charlotte, the house is used as Charlotte’s palace and the interiors of Untere Schloss, where Charlotte was born.
The 16th-century house itself was built in 1544 and is open to the public from late spring to early autumn on Thursdays through to Sundays.
You may well recognise the house and its interiors from other TV series and films, including the 2017 adaptation of Emma, Tomb Raider, and Young Victoria.
Other filming locations
There are a number of other filming locations that were used within the show. For example, Ditton Manor was used to depict the exterior of Mirow Castle.
The Bath Assembly Rooms was used in both Bridgerton and Queen Charlotte and is where the ball is held. Meanwhile, Hackney Empire in East London is used to depict opera scenes in both shows.
The Queen’s House in Greenwich (famed for its spiral tulip staircase) is where we are first introduced to Dr. Monro. Other locations include the Old Naval College, Goldsmiths Hall and Woolwich Barracks.
Sophie Nadeau loves dogs, books, travel, pizza, and history. A Francophile at heart, she runs solosophie.com when she’s not chasing after the next sunset shot or consuming something sweet. She splits her time between Paris and London and travels as much as she can! Subscribe to Sophie’s YouTube Channel.