December 24, 2001
The Express
Royal Palace to be turned into a film
with Kathryn Spencer, Julie Carpenter & Michael Leventhal

THE Queen, we can disclose, has given her permission for the imposing front lawn of Hampton Court Palace to be removed for the filming of a GBP16 million blockbuster about the life of Oliver Cromwell.

The historic epic, to be produced by Jude Law's company Natural Nylon, will recreate the English Civil War and the execution of Charles I in January 1649.

The picture, titled Cromwell And Fairfax, will start shooting in February with Tim Roth playing Cromwell, Rupert Everett portraying King Charles I and Dougray Scott taking the part of military mastermind Thomas Fairfax.

Last week the 16th-century palace - favourite residence of King Henry VIII and reputedly still haunted by his second wife Anne Boleyn - had the entire lawn uprooted so that the spectacular Base Court could be transformed to resemble 17th-century Whitehall.

The fee asked by the Surrey palace - run by the Historic Royal Palaces charity but still owned by the Queen - is believed to be in the region of GBP120,000.

When production begins visitors will find a replica of the Whitehall Banqueting House - where Charles I was beheaded - installed outside the front entrance.

"Hampton Court have been very helpful. They even suggested that we remove the turf. The problem is if you cover it up to protect it, it goes brown in about three days and we didn't want to trash it, " says the film's producer Kevin Loader, who also worked on Captain Corelli's Mandolin.

But the fee? "It's pretty much par for the course, " he says. "And we will be putting the turf back afterwards."

Loader adds:

"They probably wouldn't let us do this in a place like Cambridge (with its historic quads) where they boast that their lawns have been untouched for 500 years."

A Hampton Court spokeswoman remains unpeturbed at the removal of the palace's impressive lawn. "It's very exciting, "she tells us. "This is the first major filming to be done at the palace in years.

"Even though it is being used to double-up for Whitehall Palace, Oliver Cromwell also lived there and his daughter was married there.

"We will be putting up interpretative panels so that visitors see what the film's about and how the palace fits in with this particular film."

Pressed further on the cost to Natural Nylon, she adds: "We won't be divulging the fee."

© Express Newspapers 2001