Royal Family

Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
Margot Robbie in Mary Queen of Scots seen standing in the dark in a long grey dress, with a maid at each side dressed in the same grey colour.

Margot Robbie in Mary Queen of Scots ©Universal Pictures

Writer: Beau Willimon
Director: Josie Rourke
Starring: Saoirse Ronan and Margot Robbie
Production Company: Universal Pictures International
Kent Locations Used: Penshurst Place

Historical drama Mary Queen of Scots is based on John Guy’s book ‘Queen of Scots: The True Life of Mary Stuart’ and tells the story of Mary Stuart (Saoirse Ronan), Queen of France, who becomes widowed at 18, defies pressures to remarry and instead, returns to her native Scotland to reclaim her throne. However, when Mary’s attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England (Margot Robbie), fails, she is condemned to years of imprisonment before finally facing execution.

The film was directed by Josie Rourke and written by Beau Willimon and  stars Saoirse Ronan (The Lovely Bones, Brooklyn) and Margot Robbie (Wolf of Wall Street, The Legend of Tarzan).

Filming took place at Penshurst Place in Sevenoaks, with lead actress Saoirse Ronan featuring in scenes set in the Baron’s Hall and the Inner Courtyard. The medieval Baron’s Hall also features at the start of the official trailer as a backdrop for Mary’s execution. The solemn procession of spectators waiting to witness Queen Mary’s execution was staged in the Inner Courtyard.

Penshurst Place is a 14th Century Manor House with preserved interiors, including the unique medieval Baron’s Hall as well as eleven acres of Elizabethan walled gardens. Previous productions using this location were The Hollow Crown: The Wars of the Roses (2016), Wolf Hall (2015), and The Other Boleyn Girl (2008).

Mary Queen of Scots will be released in UK Cinemas on Friday 18th January 2019.

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map. 

The Royals (2016 – 2018)

Posted on by Kent Film Office
The three main characters standing in a row facing the camera in front of a white background, blue and red stripes cover them, the words The Royals written in white

©E! Entertainment

Creator: Mark Schwahn
Starring: Elizabeth Hurley, William Mosely, Alexandra Park, Jake Maskall, Tom Austen
Production Company: Mastermind Laboratories, Varsity Pictures, Lionsgate Television, Universal Cable Productions
Kent Locations Used: Allington Castle, Boughton Monchelsea Place, The Historic Dockyard Chatham, Tunbridge Wells

Set in modern-day London, The Royals (2015-2018) follows the lives and scandals of a fictional British Royal family.

The show was created by Mark Schwahn (Coach Carter, One Tree Hill) and the ensemble cast includes Elizabeth Hurley (Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, Bedazzled) as Queen Elena, William Mosely (The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Carrie Pilby) as Prince Liam, Alexandra Park (Ben is Back, Home and Away) as Princess Eleanor, Jake Maskall (Eastenders, Centurion) as Cyrus and Tom Austen (Grantchester, Helstrom) as Jasper.

For Series 2, the production made use of two locations in Kent: Boughton Monchelsea Place and Allington Castle. Boughton Monchelsea Place can be seen in Episode 3 as the manor house that Princess Eleanor and Jasper visit. Allington Castle features in Episode 7, as the Henstridge residence that Princess Eleanor and Queen Helena visit.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham features in various episodes of Series 4. The Tarred Yarn Store was used to represent the interior of a house in India which Princess Eleanor and Sebastian (Toby Sandeman) are restoring. King Robert (Max Brown) leaves on HMS Cavalier. The gardens of the Commissioner’s House feature as the meeting place for Prince Liam and his ex Kathryn (Christina Wolfe). External street scenes, including a protest, were filmed around the Ropery.

Filming for Series 4 also took place in Tunbridge Wells, on Chapel Place, as part of a Royal Wedding. Unfortunately, this scene did not appear to make the final cut.

The Royals screenshot at Allington Castle - a woman riding a horse into a castle

The Royals screenshot at Allington Castle © Lionsgate Home Entertainment

The Royals screenshot at Boughton Monchelsea - a manor house with people outside

The Royals screenshot at Boughton Monchelsea © Lionsgate Home Entertainment

Boughton Monchelsea Place is a 16th Century manor house set within 15 miles of countryside to the south of Maidstone and has been featured in The Carer (2016) and Half Broken Things (2007).

Allington Castle is privately owned and situated on the banks of the River Medway and was previously on screen in Covington Cross (1992) and The Zany Adventures of Robin Hood (1984).

A historic 17th-Century dockyard spanning over 80 acres, Chatham Dockyard contains over 100 buildings dating from the Georgian and Victorian Periods. It is the most popular filming location in Kent, having played host to many high-profile films and TV shows, including The Crown (2016-2022), Victoria & Abdul (2017) and Holmes & Watson (2018).

Set in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Tunbridge Wells is a historic spa town that offers a mix of independent shops and restaurants set alongside the colonnaded Pantiles and the picturesque High Street. The area is renowned for its historic houses and gardens and has been a place of interest for over 400 years. Other productions to have filmed there include Rupert, Rupert & Rupert (2019), Series 3 of Britannia (2021), and The Cleaner (2021).

The second series of The Royals began airing on Wednesday 10th February 2016 on E!

Series 4 of The Royals began airing on Sunday 11th March 2018 on E!

For more information about Kent’s Filming History please visit our Movie Map.