Inside the real locations where The Royals was filmed

The Royals has two distinct seasons of search traffic right now. One comes from the 2015 E! drama about a scandal-plagued British royal family, the other from the new 2025 Netflix series set inside real Indian palaces. Both productions leaned on actual estates rather than sound stages, and the locations remain open to visitors or overnight guests.

Blenheim as the British crown

Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire stood in for the show’s fictional royal residence across all four seasons of the E! series. The UNESCO site already carries its own history as Churchill’s birthplace and a Harry Potter filming location, yet The Royals used its state rooms and courtyard for the family’s day-to-day scenes.

Production filmed interiors and exteriors on the same grounds, which cut travel costs and gave the show consistent light. E! arranged limited behind-the-scenes tours during the original run, and the palace still offers public access most days of the year.

Viewers who want to stand where Prince Liam and Princess Eleanor argued can book a standard visitor ticket. The estate keeps the same layout used on camera, so the geography matches the episodes exactly.

Supporting English estates

Season two moved to Boughton Monchelsea Place and Allington Castle in Kent for several garden and corridor sequences. Both properties allowed tighter shots than Blenheim’s vast halls while still reading as aristocratic.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham supplied the naval yard and warehouse spaces needed for season four dockside plots. These sites sit within a short train ride of London, which helped the crew stay on schedule during the shorter British shooting blocks.

Each location remains open to the public on scheduled days. None offers The Royals-specific signage, yet the architecture lines up with what appeared on screen.

UK production choices

Creator Mark Schwahn insisted on filming in Britain to avoid the flat look of Los Angeles backlots. The decision added shipping costs for crew and wardrobe, but it anchored every exterior in genuine stone and weather.

Local permit offices in Oxfordshire and Kent reported steady paperwork from the production over three years. That volume helped smaller estates justify the disruption of closing rooms to tourists.

The payoff shows in the final cut. British light and genuine period detail became part of the show’s brand, something later echoed when the Netflix version chose real Indian palaces.

Jaipur’s City Palace debut

The 2025 Netflix series The Royals opens inside Jaipur’s City Palace, specifically the private Chandra Mahal wing. The production received rare access to quarters normally closed to visitors, using the painted walls and courtyards for family confrontations.

City Palace remains a working royal residence, so filming happened in tightly scheduled windows between state events. The crew moved lights and cameras each evening to restore the spaces by morning.

Public areas of the palace stay open daily. Ticket holders can walk the same corridors seen in the series, though the private wing stays off-limits outside production use.

Rambagh Palace sequences

Rambagh Palace, now a Taj hotel, hosted several ballroom and garden scenes. The property already markets its royal heritage, and the series simply extended that story to a new audience.

Designers kept the hotel’s existing furniture and lighting, adding only small set pieces that could be struck overnight. Guests who stay now sleep in rooms that doubled as character bedrooms on camera.

Room rates fluctuate with demand, yet the property lists availability on major booking platforms year-round. No special The Royals package exists, but the hotel keeps episode stills in its digital gallery.

Heritage stays in Rajasthan

Samode Palace, Mundota Fort and Palace, and Shiv Vilas Resort each appear in multiple episodes. All three operate as luxury hotels, so viewers can book the exact suites or courtyards used on screen.

Production notes show that the crew favored properties already set up for events, which reduced the need for temporary power and catering. The owners in turn gained footage they now use in their own marketing.

Advance reservations are required for peak months. Properties publish photo packages that highlight the series connection without promising specific room numbers.

Goa resort finale

The season closes at the St. Regis Goa Resort, where beach and pool sequences give the story its tropical turn. The resort’s oceanfront lawn stood in for a fictional state visit, complete with local extras and traditional boats.

Filming occurred during the shoulder season, which kept guest disruption low. The resort later posted behind-the-scenes clips on its social channels, extending the show’s reach to travel audiences.

Current guests can request the same lawn area for private events. The property does not alter room décor between shoots, so the visual match remains intact.

Streaming timing and travel

The Netflix launch in May 2025 triggered fresh interest in both the Indian and British locations. Travel sites reported a measurable uptick in searches for “The Royals filming locations” within days of the premiere.

Airlines added seasonal routes from U.S. hubs to Jaipur and Goa, citing the series in their destination campaigns. Hotels in Rajasthan prepared English-language maps that point out specific scenes.

The overlap benefits smaller estates that rarely receive international press. Their booking engines now list English descriptions alongside local text to capture the new wave of viewers.

Next steps for visitors

Anyone planning a trip can cross-reference the two productions on a single itinerary. Start in Oxfordshire for Blenheim Palace, then fly to Jaipur for City Palace and the heritage hotels. The contrast between British and Indian royal settings becomes part of the experience itself.

Most sites sell standard admission or room inventory online. Advance planning avoids peak closures, especially around state events at working palaces. The Royals locations reward travelers who arrive with episode references in hand and leave with their own photos in the same frames.