Althorp Estate is a sprawling home in the English countryside, complete with crystal chandeliers and paintings dating back 500 years. It is where Princess Diana spent her teenage years before marrying Charles, and is currently the residence of her younger brother Charles Spencer.
It also happens to boast another claim to fame: the setting inspiration for Netflix Bridgeton.
Back in December 2020, days after the first season of Bridgeton Show debut, showrunner Chris Van Dusen Share some insight on Twitter: “Bridgerton House’s interior design was inspired by my visit to Althorp when I was developing the show. Elegance. Opulence. And this #staircase.”
Charles Spencer Retweet the news Soon, she wrote, “Just saw this, below–that’s a compliment to my family who preceded me, making Althorp House what it is today.”
Members Bridgeton You may be familiar with the fictional version of Princess Diana’s home, but what exactly does the real Althorp estate look like? We now have a much better idea, thanks to the clip that was broadcast today’s show yesterday.
For the video, NBC News’ Molly Hunter traveled to the 13,000-acre property, where she received a personal tour from Charles Spencer himself. Hunter is welcomed into the home’s entrance hall, which amazes with its black and white tiled floors and towering paintings.
The Grand Staircase at Althorp Estate.
(Image source: Courtesy Althorp Estate)
Sure, the first look of the house looks luxurious to most casual viewers, though Spencer claims, “It’s not glamorous. It’s not a tyrant.” Then he added, laughing, “I hope!”
The video then followed Hunter and Spencer to the famous staircase, which is lit by a crystal chandelier and surrounded by family photos – including a beautiful portrait of Princess Diana.
“[The staircase] Pointing to Chris Van Dusen, Spencer said,
“When I was writing the demo script, I actually wrote that there was this great central staircase in the middle of Bridgeton’s house with pictures hanging above it, much like Althorp,” van Dousen told Hunter. “These words are literally found in the text.”
The rest of the tour included stops in the Painters’ Corridor, a room that features many self-portraits and busts. Spencer jokes that it might have to be called “Bridgerton Room” from now on, given its striking resemblance to one of the show’s sets.
Photo Gallery at Althorp Estate.
(Image source: Courtesy Althorp Estate)
There was also a stopping point in the gallery, a long room where nearly every inch of wall space is covered in gold-framed paintings. While most of the images come from the Spencer family’s 500-year-old art collection, there are a few new pieces that have crept in – an ultra-modern retelling of Britain, the patriotic personification of Britain usually portrayed as a warrior. A 2008 painting shows Britannia wearing a red shirt and smoking a cigarette.
“People get whipped,” Spencer said. “When the audience walks past, they see the whole 17th century, and suddenly there’s something from 2008.”
For Spencer, adding subtle modern touches to a home helps keep it alive and kicking for generations to come. And Althorp’s new relationship with Bridgerton is just another way to breathe new life into the family home.
“I think it’s great,” said Spencer, when asked about Van Dusen’s change of estate. “It’s a huge compliment, not to me, because these designs have been here for a very long time, but to my ancestors who were fortunate enough to hire great artists to make Althorp’s interior design great. And here they are, living a little differently.”