Inside the One House That Played Four Residences in "Bridgerton"—and Appeared on "The Crown"
Bridgerton has captivated Netflix users left and right—and that includes the many English country homes featured in the period drama series. But one house in particular is in a league of its own, given that it was used to create a whopping four different residences for Bridgerton. That site is known as Wilton House. If you’re a period drama connoisseur, you’ve also seen this abode in Emma, The Crown, and Pride and Prejudice, to name a few of its other starring roles. To find out how Wilton House was transformed for its many appearances in the hit Netflix series, House Beautiful spoke to Bridgerton production designer Will Hughes-Jones.
Built in 1543 by the 1st Earl of Pembroke, Wilton House is a work of Palladian-style architecture and it has remained in the Pembroke family for 478 years. For Bridgerton, Wilton House was tapped to portray the residences of the Duke of Hastings, Lady Danbury, Queen Charlotte, and the Duke and Duchess of Hastings. So, what made this country house versatile enough to play this many roles? For starters, the real Queen Charlotte lived at Buckingham Palace (then known as Buckingham House) and “there are only so many places that fit the bill when looking for a location to film Buckingham Palace,” Will Hughes-Jones tells House Beautiful.
Of course, Wilton House did not only act as Queen Charlotte’s royal residence (specifically as her bedroom, “presentation chamber,” parlour, and garden), but also as Lady Danbury’s library, the dining room of Clyvedon Castle (where the Duke and Duchess of Hastings move to after their wedding), the site of a garden party, and the Duke of Hastings’ house exterior, corridors, and study.
Another factor that came into play was the filming process itself—specifically, trying to make it as seamless as possible by being selective about the filming locations. When searching for the homes that best fit Bridgerton, Hughes-Jones says “we needed to link [the filming locations] with other sets in order to help with the schedule of filming.” A source of inspiration for both Hughes-Jones and Bridgerton’s Director of Photography was the 1975 film Barry Lyndon, a fellow period drama that also counts Wilton House as a filming location.
Given that Wilton House is over 400 years old, it’s to be expected that the home has been renovated numerous times, hence the reason why there are a plethora of “different styles throughout the house,” making it all the more resourceful and adaptable when it came to acting as numerous residences in Bridgerton. The most recognizable room is the Double Cube Room, because if any film or series films at Wilton House, it will likely feature this incredibly opulent space. You’ll see it in Pride and Prejudice when Elizabeth Bennett is talking to Mr. Darcy and his sister, in Emma, when Mr. Knightley plants himself on the carpet to lie down, and in The Crown, when Queen Elizabeth II greets guests like President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jackie Kennedy. A striking design feature that is often left out of other productions—but is part of Bridgerton—is the extravagant, Michelangelo-esque ceiling.
While we mere commoners can’t live like Queen Charlotte, the Duke and Duchess of Hastings, or Lady Danbury, we can live vicariously through them by watching Bridgerton—and by someday planning a trip to England to visit Wilton House!
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