Fanspot
Windsor Castle
“I am Queen, but I am also a woman. And a wife.”
Elizabeth II (Claire Foy)
Belvoir Castle, a building that has been extensively altered over the centuries and whose foundations date back to 1067, has been one of the main filming locations for The Crown since the first season. Dismissed by the production at the end of season 3, it has nevertheless seen the two interpreters of Queen Elizabeth II, namely Claire Foy, in seasons 1 and 2 and Olivia Colman in season 3, but also Helena Bonham Carter, the actress called to replace Vanessa Kirby in the tumultuous role of Princess Margaret in season 3 and season 4.
As much used for the grandeur and architecture of its interiors as for the beauty of its facade, recognizable by its orange color and towers reminiscent of the castles of yesteryear, Belvoir was the perfect stand-in for Windsor Castle. The latter remains, just like Buckingham Palace and Balmoral Castle, closed to filming.
What does the royal family think?
Fans of The Crown wondered early on if the royal family, and more specifically the Queen, was watching the show. Vanessa Kirby was able to answer this question after a party where she met Princess Eugenie, the granddaughter of Elizabeth II. The latter confided: “My grandmother watches it and she really likes it. “The princess also admitted that she thought The Crown was beautifully filmed and that the music, as well as the script, was remarkable.
Half-hearted opinions
However, the Daily Mail sounded a different note when it said, after speaking with someone close to the Windsors, “The Queen realizes that many people who watch The Crown consider it an accurate representation of her family. She also knows she can’t change that. She is nevertheless upset by the way Prince Philip, her husband, is described as an insensitive father to his son, Prince Charles. She highlighted one particular sequence, in which Philip, impassive, forces his son to leave his home to study in a very strict school. The queen said that it simply did not happen.“Prince Philip, played successively by Matt Smith and Tobias Menzies, meanwhile, confided to a journalist from the Mirror when asked if he watched the series: ‘Do not be ridiculous. “
Belvoir Castle was featured in the first three seasons of The Crown.
Belvoir Castle
Not to be confused with the building of the same name in France, this castle was founded in 1067 in Leicestershire.
Belvoir Castle as it appears today is the fourth version of a building built after the Norman Conquest. Taking place on an area of 6,000 hectares, it sits at the heart of one of the main hunting grounds in England. Its gardens were designed by Elizabeth Howard, the fifth Duchess of Rutland. It was founded in 1799, when the castle as we know it today was being built. Very popular for filming, Belvoir appears in Little Lord Fauntleroy, Da Vinci Code, The Secret of the Pyramid or even Victoria: the young years of a queen. It was also used as a filming location for the series The Crown.
The Fantrippers Buying Board
Funko Pop Elizabeth II and corgi figure
Proudly display Queen Elizabeth II and one of her royal corgis with this beautiful Funko Pop figure! A whole range of the famous firm is dedicated to the most famous Royal Family in the world.
Content quality
Interest for fans
Value for money
Discover all the places The Crown on our map
By Gilles Rolland
Passionné de cinéma, de rock and roll, de séries TV et de littérature. Rédacteur de presse et auteur des livres Le Heavy Metal au cinéma, Paroles de fans Guns N' Roses, Paroles de fans Rammstein et Welcome to my Jungle : 100 albums rock et autres anecdotes dépareillées. Adore également voyager à la recherche des lieux les plus emblématiques de la pop culture.