From a disused airbase to a pretty market town in the midlands and the tower blocks of Canary Wharf… So how many of these surprising real-life locations will you spot in the new series of The Crown?

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It’s been praised for its meticulous research, but there was only so far the makers of The Crown could go when filming the drama.

It was never very likely that the royal palaces would throw open their doors to the cameramen.

Instead, the producers for the Netflix series scoured the country for look-alike venues including a disused airbase, an East London Park and Rochester High Street.

However inauthentic – and improbable in some cases – they certainly made up for it with atmosphere, as viewers of the newly released sixth and final series of The Crown can see for themselves.

How many of these unlikely British backdrops will you spot smuggled into the action?

 Reeds School, Surrey

Reeds is an independent boys boarding school in Cobham, Surrey. Although the mock Tudor buildings seems a surprising match, it doubles for medieval Eton College in the final series of The Crown

Eton College showing the grounds, buildings and the 15th century chapel

Princess Diana of Wales , Prince Charles , and Prince Harry accompany Prince William on his first day at Eton College alongside his Housemaster Dr Andrew Gailey in 1995

Elizabeth Debicki  and Dominic West are the Prince and Princess of Wales in the screen version

RAF Upper Hayford, Oxfordshire

The site of RAF Upper Heyford stands a few miles outside Bicester. It was used by Bomber Command in the Second World War and later by the United States Airforce. Today the grounds stand empty – but they were ideal for the makers of The Crown when they wanted to stage a recreation of Diana’s 1997 funeral

The producers used a ‘green screen’ backdrop, which allowed the film to add a more convincing background at a later date

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince William, Earl Spencer, Prince Harry and Prince Charles, the Prince of Wales follow the coffin of Diana, Princess of Wales in September 1997

Prince Charles, Prince of Wales, Prince Harry, Charles Spencer, 9th Earl Spencer, Prince William, and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh watch as Guardsmen of the Prince of Wales Company of the Welsh Guards carry the coffin of Diana

Royal Holloway, Surrey

Royal Holloway on the Thames at Egham is part of the University of London. According to architecture historian Pevsner, it is the ‘most ebullient Victorian building in the Home Counties’. The flamboyant style is certainly a long way from the restrained appearance of St Andrews University on the Scottish coast, where William and Kate studied. Nonetheless, Royal Holloways’ Founders Building was used for William’s room and the St Andrews library

St Andrews is the oldest university in the English speaking world. Pictured are the lawn and quadrangle at St Salvators college, where Prince William studied geography 

Prince William’s jumper and stance are evoked by by Ed Mcvey in The Crown

Oundle, Northamptonshire

The pretty Northamptonshire market town of Oundle – home to a famous public school – was used for scenes set near Balmoral. In particular a visit to a  fictional photography shop, D Muir 

The Netflix drama recreates a famous photoshoot with Charles and the boys and devises a plotline to explain it

Prince Charles in a kilt with his two sons in the summer of 1997, the year their mother died

Rochester, Kent

Rochester High Street became Windsor – and its Guildhall became the setting for the 2005 wedding of Charles and Camilla

The Rochester Guildhall, now a museum, was built in the 17th century

Prince Charles and Camilla after leaving the chapel service at Windsor Castle in 2005

Dominic West and Olivia Williams protray Prince Charles and Camilla on their wedding day

Canary Wharf, Docklands

No 1 Canada Square, centre, dominates the skyline at Canary wharf. The location was used to suggest the the Canadian city of Vancouver 

A young Prince William is greeted by crowds of girls at Canada Place on a visit to Vancouver  in 1998

Victoria Park, Hackney 

 Thanks to its name, Victoria Park in London will always have a royal association, but is rarely mistaken for The Mall – the long drive leading to Buckingham Palace

Beau Gadsdon and Viola Prettejohn play Margaret and Elizabeth. In this scene, the princesses stroll down The Mall the morning following VE Day May 8 1945. The real location is Victoria Park in east London

Old Royal Naval College, Greenwich

The Old Royal Naval College at Greenwich, designed by Sir Christopher Wren. It was used to film scenes celebrating the late Queen 50th wedding anniversary in 1997

The Naval College doubled as Westminster Abbey for The Crown

Imelda Staunton pictured as Queen Elizabeth II at the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh pictured at Westminster Abbey on the day of their 50th wedding anniversary 

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