These Elizabeth filming locations reveal the castles, cathedrals, and landscapes that brought Cate Blanchett’s Queen Elizabeth I movies to life.
Two decades of Tudor drama, two Cate Blanchett performances, and enough castles to make a royal architect nervous.
Elizabeth (1998) follows Elizabeth I from the uncertainty of her accession in 1558 through religious conflict, political conspiracies, assassination plots, and her transformation into the formidable Virgin Queen played by Cate Blanchett.
She returns for the sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), which jumps to the later part of Elizabeth’s reign, when Spain’s Armada threatens England, Catholic conspirators plot against the queen, and Sir Walter Raleigh catches her eye.
Neither film is a strict historical reconstruction. Shekhar Kapur uses Britain’s castles, cathedrals, churches, and rugged landscapes to create an operatic version of Elizabeth’s reign, compressing timelines and reshaping historical figures along the way.
The result is wonderfully atmospheric, occasionally wildly inaccurate, and very easy on the eyes.
Table of Contents
👑 Elizabeth Filming Locations
Both films turned Britain’s historic architecture into a Tudor playground, but they took rather different approaches.
The 1998 film leaned heavily on imposing northern castles and cathedrals, while the sequel expanded its palette with English cathedrals, a Scottish castle, coastal scenery, and studio sets.
🏰 Elizabeth (1998) Filming Locations
Elizabeth (1998) follows the young queen as she inherits a bankrupt, religiously divided England and battles assassination plots, political betrayals, pressure to marry, and the threat of Catholic rebellion.
The first film makes Elizabeth’s world feel cold, dangerous, and slightly terrifying, which is exactly the point. Filming deliberately favoured the rugged historic architecture of northern England, using castles and cathedrals to create the film’s dark Tudor atmosphere.
What was filmed here:
- Haddon Hall, Derbyshire: Elizabeth receives news of her accession.
- Durham Cathedral, County Durham: Whitehall Palace interiors & corridors.
- York Minster, North Yorkshire: Elizabeth’s Westminster Abbey coronation.
- Alnwick Castle, Northumberland: Protestant martyr executions & Leith Castle.
- Warkworth Castle, Northumberland: Tower of London prison sequences.
- Aydon Castle, Northumberland: Walsingham’s apartment & torture chamber.
- Chillingham Castle, Northumberland: Castle interiors & Tudor sequences.
- Bolton Castle, North Yorkshire: Tower of London sequences.
- Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland: Historic castle exteriors.
- Raby Castle, County Durham: Thames river pageant sequences.
- Leeds Castle, Kent: Additional Tudor court sequences.
- Middle Temple, London: Period interiors & exterior scenes.
- Dorney Court, Berkshire: Lord Arundel’s residence & illegal Mass.
- Landmark Arts Centre, Teddington: Elizabeth’s Virgin Queen transformation.
- Shepperton Studios, Surrey: Studio filming & constructed sets.
What else to see & do here:
- York Minster & York City Walls: Explore the cathedral & medieval fortifications.
- Durham Cathedral & Durham Castle: Explore the cathedral & historic castle.
- Haddon Hall & Peak District: Tour the medieval manor & landscapes.
- Alnwick Castle, Northumberland: Explore the castle & gardens.
- Hampton Court Palace & Gardens: Tour the Tudor palace & gardens.
- Leeds Castle & Grounds: Explore the castle & surrounding estate.
- Windsor Castle & State Apartments: Tour the royal castle & grand interiors.
Book a tour:
- Northumberland Castles Tour with Private Transport
- Royal London: Tudors & Stuarts Walking Tour
- Walking in the Footsteps of Matthew Shardlake’s Tudor London
⚔️ Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) Filming Locations
The sequel, Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), is set in 1585. Elizabeth is facing the Spanish Armada, the Babington Plot, and the imprisonment of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Meanwhile, she develops feelings for the charismatic explorer Sir Walter Raleigh. The sequel used a larger combination of real locations swapping some of the first film’s claustrophobic gloom for a much bigger Tudor spectacle.
What was filmed here:
- Ely Cathedral, Cambridgeshire: Whitehall Palace interior sequences.
- Westminster Cathedral, London: Spanish court at El Escorial.
- Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire: Old St. Paul’s Cathedral sequences.
- St. Bartholomew-the-Great, London: Mary, Queen of Scots’ execution.
- Brean Down, Somerset: Elizabeth’s famous Tilbury army speech.
- Eilean Donan Castle, Highlands: Exterior of Fotheringhay Castle.
- Shepperton Studios, Surrey: Major constructed sets & studio sequences.
What else to see & do here:
- Ely Cathedral & Cambridge: Tour the cathedral & collegiate landmarks.
- Westminster Cathedral: Attend a 360° sound-and-light concert.
- Westminster Abbey & Houses of Parliament: Tour the abbey & buildings.
- Winchester Cathedral & Winchester Castle: Tour the cathedral & historic castle.
- Eilean Donan Castle & Grounds: Tour the castle & surrounding grounds.
Book a tour:
- Royal London: Tudors & Stuarts Walking Tour
- Walking in the Footsteps of Matthew Shardlake’s Tudor London
- Stratford-upon-Avon: Tudor World Museum Entrance Ticket
- Stratford-upon-Avon: Lantern-Lit Ghost Tour at Tudor World
👑 Elizabeth Movies FAQs
The two Elizabeth films play fast and loose with Tudor history, so here’s what’s fact, what’s fiction, and who actually appears in them.
Are the Elizabeth movies historically accurate?
Only loosely. Both Elizabeth movies compress historical events, reshape relationships, and dramatize political and military events for storytelling.
Which parts of Elizabeth (1998) are fictional?
The romance with Robert Dudley is heavily dramatized, Walsingham’s role is greatly altered, and the film compresses years of political intrigue into a much shorter period.
Was Robert Dudley really Elizabeth’s lover?
Elizabeth and Dudley were exceptionally close, but the film’s sexual relationship and romantic storyline are much more dramatic than the historical evidence supports.
Was Robert Dudley in Elizabeth: The Golden Age?
No. Elizabeth: The Golden Age leaves him out, despite his historical importance to Elizabeth and his involvement in the Armada campaign.
Did Walsingham murder Mary of Guise?
No. Mary of Guise died of natural causes in 1560, and Walsingham was not in Scotland to assassinate her.
Why does Elizabeth wear so much white makeup?
The film uses it as part of Elizabeth’s transformation into the Virgin Queen, while historically she used white ceruse makeup, partly to conceal smallpox scarring.
Why is the Duke of Norfolk always moving?
Director Shekhar Kapur deliberately kept Christopher Eccleston physically active during dialogue scenes to give the political drama more energy.
Did Elizabeth: The Golden Age really happen after Elizabeth?
Yes. Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) is the direct sequel to the 1998 Elizabeth film, again directed by Shekhar Kapur, with Cate Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush returning as Elizabeth and Walsingham.
Did Elizabeth really give the Tilbury speech?
Yes. Elizabeth addressed her troops at Tilbury in 1588, but the film’s armour, white horse, and presentation of the speech are heavily dramatized.
Did Walter Raleigh fight the Spanish Armada?
The film greatly expands Raleigh’s role in the military action. Historically, he was an explorer and courtier rather than the film’s swashbuckling naval hero.
Was Daniel Craig in Elizabeth?
Yes. Daniel Craig plays John Ballard, a Jesuit conspirator, years before taking on the James Bond role.
Who’s in the Elizabeth movie cast?
- Cate Blanchett: Queen Elizabeth I
- Geoffrey Rush: Sir Francis Walsingham
- Joseph Fiennes: Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester
- Christopher Eccleston: Duke of Norfolk
- Richard Attenborough: Sir William Cecil
- Kathy Burke: Queen Mary Tudor
- Fanny Ardant: Mary of Guise
- Daniel Craig: John Ballard
- John Gielgud: The Pope
- Kelly Macdonald: Isabel Knollys
Who’s in the Elizabeth: The Golden Age cast?
- Cate Blanchett: Queen Elizabeth I
- Geoffrey Rush: Sir Francis Walsingham
- Clive Owen: Sir Walter Raleigh
- Samantha Morton: Mary, Queen of Scots
- Abbie Cornish: Elizabeth “Bess” Throckmorton
- Jordi Mollà: King Philip II of Spain
- Rhys Ifans: Robert Reston
- Eddie Redmayne: Anthony Babington
- Tom Hollander: Amias Paulet
- Steven Robertson: Sir Francis Throckmorton
- Laurence Fox: Sir Christopher Hatton
- John Shrapnel: Charles Howard, 1st Earl of Nottingham
Was Elizabeth nominated for an Oscar?
Yes. Elizabeth (1998) received seven Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actress for Cate Blanchett.
Did Elizabeth: The Golden Age win an Oscar?
Yes. Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007) received two Academy Award nominations and won for Best Costume Design. Blanchett, nominated for Best Actress, became the first female actor to receive multiple Academy Award nominations for portraying the same character.
Did the production build two ships for the Armada scenes?
No. The production built one ship replica, dressed as an English vessel on one side and a Spanish galleon on the other, with smoke helping disguise the split design.
Was the construction work at St. Paul’s real?
Yes. The production incorporated genuine construction work into the scene, with real stonemasons and construction workers dressed in period costumes and using period-style tools.
What are some series & movies like Elizabeth: The Golden Age?
- A Man for All Seasons (1966): Conscience clashes with royal authority.
- The Tudors (2007-2010): Tudor court intrigue, romance, & ruthless ambition.
- The Other Boleyn Girl (2008): Tudor rivalry, romance, & royal ambition.
- The Duchess (2008): Marriage, power, & aristocratic rebellion collide.
- Reign (2013-2017): Young Mary Queen of Scots navigates court intrigue.
- Wolf Hall (2015-2024): Political power plays in Tudor England.
- Mary Queen of Scots (2018): Rival queens collide over England’s throne.
- The Favourite (2018): Court intrigue becomes deliciously vicious.
- Becoming Elizabeth (2022): Young Elizabeth navigates Tudor court dangers.
- Elizabeth I: Tudor Queen (2024): Documentary on the Tudor queen.
📺 Where to Watch the Elizabeth Movies
For the full Blanchett double feature, start with the 1998 original, then dive into the bigger, flashier Armada-era sequel.
From imposing northern castles to windswept Somerset cliffs, both Elizabeth movies transformed Britain’s historic landscapes into a spectacular cinematic version of Tudor England.
Disclaimer: This fan-created article is for entertainment purposes only. We do not guarantee the accuracy of its information or recommend relying on it for important decisions. All referenced titles, names, and intellectual property belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended.
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