Buckingham Palace
london · SW1A
About this location
Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the monarch and the administrative headquarters of the Royal Household. It is not a routine filming location. This page exists for reference; no commercial crew walks onto the forecourt or into the State Rooms without months of direct negotiation with the Royal Household, and the answer for most productions is no.
Who controls access
Three separate bodies split responsibility:
- The Royal Household controls the Palace interior and the private gardens.
- Royal Collection Trust manages the State Rooms (opened to the public in summer when the monarch is at Balmoral) and the Royal Mews — the only routes a production has ever realistically used for interior filming.
- The Metropolitan Police Royalty and Specialist Protection Command handles site security. The same unit protects the monarch personally. Armed officers are on the forecourt and inside the gates at all times.
The forecourt, the pavement in front of the main gates, and the Queen Victoria Memorial are all Crown Estate or Royal Parks land. Exterior shots on the Mall fall under Royal Parks filming + Westminster City Council permit + Met Police sign-off.
When filming has happened
Interior filming at Buckingham Palace is exceptional. The Inside Buckingham Palace documentary, Charles R: The Making of a Monarch, and a handful of authorised royal programmes have been granted access via the Royal Household Communications team. The Crown did not film at Buckingham Palace — Lancaster House, Wilton House and built sets at Elstree stood in. Most feature films and dramas do the same.
State Rooms are occasionally available for cultural and charitable projects outside the summer opening — negotiated case-by-case with Royal Collection Trust’s filming and photography team. A fee is payable; the process runs on months, not weeks.
What indie crews actually do
For any frame of the Palace that an independent production needs:
- Exterior approach from the Mall — handheld or short-tripod on the public pavement, Westminster permit plus Royal Parks filming agreement. Long lens across the memorial is the cleanest composition; the gates fill the frame at 200mm.
- Changing of the Guard — the ceremonial detail is public-access and legal to photograph/film from the pavement. No separate filming permit needed for tourist-style coverage, but any tripod-and-crew-scale shoot still needs the Westminster permit.
- Lancaster House or Wilton House as an interior double — both properties are regularly used as Buckingham Palace stand-ins (Lancaster is run by the Foreign Office and has an established filming team). Budget accordingly.
Practical contact
For Royal Collection Trust filming and photography: rct.uk publishes a commercial filming contact route. For Royal Household editorial requests: the Palace Press Office handles initial enquiries through gov.uk and royal.uk. Expect: multi-month lead time, full crew identity and vetting submission, public liability insurance evidence (£5m minimum baseline), a defined editorial brief, and a willingness to accept the Royal Household’s terms on footage rights. For all other purposes: use a stand-in property.
Access notes
- Parking
- No on-site parking confirmed. Expect to use nearby public car parks or a council parking suspension.
- Loading access
- Loading access not listed. Confirm access points, door widths, and lift availability with the venue before the day.
- Public transit
- london has mainline rail and regional bus connections. Check the nearest station and allow for equipment on-foot from transit.
Ask us about this location
Quick question before you enquire upstream? We often know day-rate ranges, permit lead times, or a direct-to-owner shortcut not shown on the source page.
On the map
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Access process
The Royal Household / Royal Collection Trust
The Royal Household controls access to occupied royal residences. Royal Collection Trust manages the State Rooms of Buckingham Palace and the Royal Mews. Most requests are declined; exceptions are editorial documentary on explicitly royal editorial terms.
- Lead time
- Months minimum — a year or more for major editorial documentary.
- Fees
- Case-by-case. No public rate card. Editorial projects may involve no fee but carry tight editorial terms.
- Met Police Royalty and Specialist Protection handles site security.
- Commercial drama, music video, advertising: no route in — use stand-in properties.
- Editorial terms include factual-accuracy review; not final cut.
For exterior pavement shots only, the normal council permit route applies.
FAQ
- Do I need a permit to film at Buckingham Palace?
- Yes — filming on or around Buckingham Palace typically requires a permit. Allow roughly 5–10 working days lead time for most UK councils. Interior shoots on private property may also need owner consent.
- Is parking available at Buckingham Palace?
- Parking isn't listed as a confirmed amenity for Buckingham Palace. Check with the site for crew parking, loading, and unit-base options — in london you'll often rely on nearby public car parks or a council parking suspension.
- How much does it cost to film at Buckingham Palace?
- Day rates at Buckingham Palace aren't published — UK film locations typically run £200–£1,500 per day depending on the property, crew size, and exclusivity. Request a quote through the enquiry form with your dates and crew count.
- What crew size is suitable for Buckingham Palace?
- Buckingham Palace can take a medium-sized crew of up to around 15 — most commercial, music-video, and short-form productions fit comfortably.
- Has anything been filmed at Buckingham Palace before?
- Buckingham Palace appears on Filmshoot's UK location index because it has a documented track record or strong characteristics for film and photography. Specific production credits aren't displayed unless publicly confirmed by the venue — ask the venue directly or check ScreenSkills and IMDb Locations for verified credits.
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