7 royal residences and UK landmarks that play home to major Hollywood blockbusters

One of Britain’s most iconic royal landmarks, the Tower of London has worn many crowns over the centuries – fortress, royal residence of Henry VIII, and notorious prison. But in Hollywood, it’s the perfect backdrop for high-stakes action (because nothing says tension like the Crown Jewels being in jeopardy!). Tom Cruise’s character defuses a bomb outside the Tower in Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, while Peter Parker and his friends shelter from a raging final battle at the London landmark in Spider-Man: Far From Home. With its imposing grandeur and unbeatable view of Tower Bridge, it’s a top choice for filmmakers setting their flicks in the capital.

You’d have to be part of a pretty legendary franchise to be granted filming access around Buckingham Palace, and James Bond is one of the few who’s earned the honour. In Die Another Day, Bond’s nemesis Gustav Graves makes a typically dramatic entrance for his knighthood ceremony, parachuting down to the palace gates to a cheering crowd. While the scene isn’t very long, it was a major coup for the production – location manager Simon Marsden secured filming permissions last-minute, and had to shoot at the crack of dawn to avoid the usual flood of tourists. With its iconic façade, Buckingham Palace brought a dose of real-world royalty to the world of 007 – and who can forget Graves’ iconic Union Jack parachute?

No establishing shot says “You’re in London” quite like Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament; towering over the Thames with their Gothic grandeur, they’ve had starring roles in countless Hollywood blockbusters. While V for Vendetta largely recreated Parliament on a soundstage, key scenes were filmed around Parliament Square, with the real building looming ominously behind the action, and Daniel Craig’s Bond sprints across Westminster Bridge as Big Ben stands watch in Spectre. But it was Suffragette that became the first commercial film ever granted permission to shoot inside the building in 2015, with this rare access adding real-world weight to the story of women fighting for the vote.

The medieval fortress of Alnwick Castle, the ancestral home of the Dukes of Northumberland, is instantly recognisable to Harry Potter fans as the original Hogwarts. Its courtyard and corridors feature in the first two films of the franchise, while its exterior is best seen in the iconic flying lesson segment in Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. The landmark’s star power doesn’t stop at wizardry though – it’s been a favourite Hollywood stand-in for period films thanks to its medieval exterior. It served as a 12th-century version of Nottingham Castle in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, and was also transformed into Tudor London for the Cate Blanchett-led Elizabeth. It’s one of Britain’s best-preserved medieval castles thanks to centuries of occupation, and with the upcoming Harry Potter HBO series on the horizon, it may make another magical appearance.

Once the favourite royal residence of King Henry VIII, Hampton Court Palace remains a beloved landmark and is one of the few palaces still owned by the Crown. Its sprawling Tudor courtyards doubled as the fictional St James’s Palace in Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides, where Captain Jack Sparrow finds himself captured by the Royal Guards, and also channelled French flair when they served as Paris in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. Period comedy The Favourite also took audiences inside the palace, where Henry VIII’s Kitchens and the Cartoon Gallery provided a fittingly historic backdrop for Queen Anne, who was known for spending time at the former royal residence.

As the world’s oldest and largest occupied castle, Windsor Castle was a favourite residence of Queen Elizabeth II and is now regularly used by King Charles III for hosting state visits. While filming inside is extremely rare, its backyard – the 4,800-acre Windsor Great Park – is a favourite of filmmakers. Its sweeping woodlands and man-made waterfall in the Virginia Water lake helped bring Into the Woods to life, while it continued its fairytale trajectory as a filming spot for Cinderella and Snow White and the Huntsman. More down-to-earth (and muddy), the park also appeared as the music festival location Bridget Jones’s Baby, where the British weather was just as unruly as its heroine’s love life.

HBO has also recently begun filming for its new Harry Potter series in the grounds, not too far off from Forest Lodge, the new family home of the Prince and Princess of Wales. The landmark once again paid host to royalty when the couple treated their three children to an exclusive set tour.

Sitting at the foot of Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, Holyrood Palace is the official residence of the monarch in Scotland – and a building steeped in centuries of royal intrigue. From the turbulent reign of Mary, Queen of Scots to modern state visits, it’s long been at the heart of Scottish royal life. While filming inside is tightly restricted, the surrounding Holyrood Park and dramatic backdrop of Arthur’s Seat were a prominent running location for Eric Liddell in Chariots of Fire, as well as Renton and Spud in the 2017 Trainspotting sequel. Be sure to keep an eye out for the palace’s grand exteriors in the background, only emphasised by the park’s striking natural beauty.