The Lady premieres on ITV tonight, charting the dramatic “rise and fall” of former royal dresser and convicted murderer Jane Andrews. It may look like Buckingham Palace on screen – but the truth behind its filming locations is very different.
The four-part drama stars Mia McKenna-Bruce as Andrews, who lands her dream job as Sarah Ferguson’s dresser and quickly becomes immersed in royal life.
As she grows closer to Fergie – and more comfortable in a world of privilege – the cracks begin to show.
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The series moves between royal residences, Andrews’ northern roots, and sun-drenched holidays abroad. But almost nowhere you see is the real location.
Was The Lady filmed in Buckingham Palace?
No, The Lady was not filmed inside Buckingham Palace.
Although large parts of the opening episodes are set in the palace, ITV has confirmed the production used three stately homes to stand in for royal properties.
The specific buildings haven’t been named. Productions like The Crown have previously used Lancaster House and Burghley House to recreate royal interiors, but ITV hasn’t confirmed whether those locations were used here.
There is one real London moment: a brief black cab scene on The Mall appears to have been filmed on location.
Was Sunninghill Park used?
Jane Andrews worked for Sarah Ferguson between 1988 and 1997. In 1990, Fergie moved into Sunninghill Park, the rebuilt royal estate created for Andrew.
Episode 2 appears to show scenes set at Sunninghill Park, featuring Andrews, her husband Charles (based on Christopher Dunn-Butler), and Fergie.
However, just like Buckingham Palace, these sequences were recreated elsewhere.
Where else was The Lady filmed?
Although Andrews grew up in Grimsby, the show never explicitly names her hometown – beyond references to her being “from the north”.
Exterior scenes representing her early life were filmed in Leigh-on-Sea, a coastal town around 45 minutes from London.
Interior scenes, including Andrews’ home, were shot in Brixton. A Leavesden Road sign appears in one scene, and the brickwork suggests some exterior filming took place in Watford.
Other London locations include Hampstead Heath.
Later in the series, trial scenes were filmed on location at the Old Bailey, also known as the Central Criminal Court.
The Lady didn’t film in Greece or France
In episode 2, Andrews heads to Greece with her boyfriend Luis Castillo (inspired by Dimitri Horne). Later episodes also feature scenes set in the south of France.
None of it was filmed in either country.
Instead, production relocated to Majorca, which doubled for both Greece and France.
As confirmed in the end credits, the series benefited from Spain’s tax rebate scheme. In simple terms: filming in Majorca significantly reduced production costs.
It’s common practice. Many shows double one country for another to take advantage of tax incentives – and viewers rarely notice.
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The Lady premieres tonight at 9pm on ITV1. All episodes are available to stream now on ITVX.
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