A historical drama, an exceptional cast and many dream locations: “Mary & George” is the new British costume TV series, which takes us back to 16th century England, with great protagonists who manage to involve the public. All episodes were filmed between London, Kent and other spectacular places in the UK. Let’s find out which ones are the most suggestive.
“Mary & George”: all the details
The new TV series “Mary & George” is based on the essay “The King’s Assassin” by Benjamin Woolley: written and created by DC Moore, it boasts a truly special cast. The protagonist is Mary Villiers, played by an exceptional Julianne Moore: the woman, although of humble origins, has particularly ambitious plans for her second son George (Nicholas Galitzine). In fact, Mary would like the boy to be able to seduce King James I of England (Tony Curran). And his commitment will be such that the Villiers family will become one of the most powerful in the United Kingdom.
Produced by Hera Pictures in association with Sky Studios, “Mary & George” has 7 episodes airing from 7 April exclusively on Sky and streaming on NOW. We have already seen that the filming was filmed in England: the beautiful locations used, for example, for the interior scenes in the King’s palaces are wonderful truly existing buildings, some of which can even be visited. Let’s find out what they are.
The locations of “Mary & George”
It is not easy to reconstruct historical settings, but with “Mary & George” an exceptional job was done. Part of the filming has the city of London as a backdrop: this is the case for example of Charterhouse, a famous private educational institution founded by the wealthy businessman Thomas Sutton. Open to the public, the palace also houses a museum. Both its interior and exterior, including the beautiful parkwere used as locations.
Instead it is the Priory Church of St. Bartholomew the Great to have welcomed the scenes in which King James I and George address Parliament and those of the coronation. York House on the Strand, a wonderful villa overlooking the Thames and a stone’s throw from Westminster, does not really exist: it is actually Ham House, in the Richmond neighborhood. Today it belongs to the National Trust and can therefore be visited freely, both in its large, richly decorated rooms and in the beautiful garden that surrounds it.
Let’s move now to Kent, where it is located Knole House: historic Tudor style residence, dates back to the 15th century and is considered the largest country house in England. The interior scenes of King James I’s palace were set there, reminiscent of his true past. In fact, it was the royal residence during the time of Henry VIII. The location where the shots were filmed in what should have been the Tower of London, however, is suggestive Dover Castle.
There are also other beautiful locations where the set filmed Hatfield Housein Hertfordshire: its interiors gave life to the London Palace of King James I. Finally, in Lincolnshire, there is the Grimsthorpe Castle who was actually visited by the sovereign. In the TV series, filming was set at the home of the aristocrat Jean, who in the fiction would be in France.
