Amazon Prime's Cinderella - And A Palace Fit for a Princess!

Amazon Prime Video's 2021 adaptation of Cinderella features my local National Trust House, Waddesdon Manor in Buckinghamshire, England. It's a favourite haunt of mine. The gardens are tranquil and great for quiet walks and exploring the countryside. 

Before the pandemic, we'd go regularly to see the Christmas lights, Chilli Festival, and Summer Feast. We'd admire the spring flowers, the autumn leaves, and gawk at the aviaries, full of exotic birds.

It's quite fitting then, that producers of Cinderella on Amazon Prime Video, chose this Rothschild House & Garden as the Prince's Palace.

Waddesdon Manor's architecture was inspired by the châteaux of the Loire Valley. It was built in a French-renaissance style by Baron Ferdinand de Rothschild in the late 1800s. The twisted turrets, golden brick work and countryside setting meant it needed no Fairy Godmother transformation - it already looks like a royal palace!

The Manor's exteriors, interiors and wider grounds were all used in the production, and if you've ever been there, you'll immediately recognise some of the distinctive features, such as the portico balcony.

Waddesdon also appeared as a royal residence on the silver screen as Buckingham Palace in both The Queen (starring Helen Mirren) and The Crown. It was depicted as Château de Fontainebleau in A Little Chaos (starring Kate Winslet) and as Versailles in BBC's McMafia.

Kim Hallett, filming consultant for Waddesdon, said, "Never before has Waddesdon played such a central role in a production of this scale, nor had the chance to shine as an instantly recognisable building in its own right. It's been wonderful to see such a unique place bring its own magic and charm to this classic tale, and as Waddesdon is open to the public we look forward to welcoming visitors to come and see 'Cinderella's palace' for themselves".

Cinderella is now available on Amazon Prime Video, after being released on 3 September 2021. You can view the trailer here. 

The Manor, its Gardens and Aviaries

Waddesdon Manor's gardens were renowned in Victorian times. The house and grounds were used for parties and weekend entertainment, with high society attending, including royal guests.

Queen Victoria visited in 1890, to find out where her son was disappearing to every weekend. She was most enchanted by the electric lighting in the house. She decided to install it in her palace too. But she was less enchanted by the elevator, and decided to walk up the stairs instead. She didn't trust the new technology.

Today, visitors can explore the house and gardens, with the glorious parterre, the rose garden, and the estate walks. There's an aviary full of exotic birds, who are now bred as part of a captive breeding programme for rare species. The original Victorian aviaries still stand. They're the last remaining part of Baron Ferdinand De Rothchild's menagerie of animals who lived on the estate.

The Rothschilds' interest in the natural sciences didn't stop with live animals. They had an impressive collection of taxidermy, which now resides at the Natural History Museum at nearby Tring, in Hertfordshire, England.

Visitors to Waddesdon Manor house and gardens will surely recognise parts of the house and grounds in the new Cinderella film - a musical extravaganza, with plenty of cheesiness and lots of fun... suitable for people of all ages.

Waddesdon Manor is open to the public weekly, from Wednesdays to Sundays. It has a cafe, restaurant, shop, toilets, and there is plenty to see and do. Book tickets here: www.waddesdon.org.uk

You can also visit the Rothschild's zoological collection at the Tring Museum of Natural History. It has galleries of birds, exotic animals, sea creatures, and big game.