PBS's Popular Historical Drama 'Marie Antoinette' Primarily Filmed on Location

Historical dramas are incredibly popular these days, and the PBS series Marie Antoinette is currently taking center stage.

Created and written by Deborah Davis, the fan-favorite show explores the life of Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France before the French Revolution, who was just 14 when she became the Dauphine of France after marrying the heir to the throne, Louis-Auguste.

This captivating drama is winning over audiences with its remarkably authentic costumes, compelling storylines, and, of course, its gorgeous backdrops. Speaking of those stunning locations, many fans are dying to know: Where was Marie Antoinette filmed?

In early September 2021, news broke that Season 1 of Marie Antoinette had officially begun filming. At the time, Variety and Deadline reported that much of the hit historical drama was filmed on location in France.

The production team shot at several iconic French palaces and estates that were closely tied to the life of the real Marie Antoinette. These included the Palace of Versailles, the Château de Bagatelle, the Château de Rambouillet, the Château de Fontainebleau, the Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte, Lésigny, Voisins-le-Bretonneux, and the Champs-Élysées.

In addition to these historic sites, Marie Antoinette was also filmed at the Bry-sur-Marne studios in France. Production designer Pierre Queffelean previously revealed to Variety that the set construction took about two and a half months to complete, with a focus on historical accuracy.

Since many of the castles used for filming are private residences, the team had to carefully reconstruct rooms and corridors to authentically reflect the 18th-century atmosphere.

Pierre Queffelean specifically noted that the Palace of Versailles, which is one of the most iconic locations in the show, looked very different during the 18th century. While the palace is now known for its immaculate white walls and vibrant gold accents, it was once much grimmer.

"Today, it's very clean, painted in white with bright golds, but you have to think that back at that time, there were between 2,500 and 3,000 people who lived there constantly," he explained.

Additionally, the production team recreated the small apartments where Marie Antoinette sought privacy, as well as the secret corridors that Louis XVI had built inside Versailles so he could visit the queen without being seen by guards or servants.

OK, how fascinating is that?! We can only imagine how incredible it would be to see these intimate, hidden spaces in person!

Though most of the show was filmed on set, director Pete Travis emphasized to Variety how seamlessly the real locations and sets blend together. He explained how difficult it would be for viewers "to tell the difference between the real places and the sets," adding that "they're lit the same, the camera movement is the same, and everything feels like it's real."

"That's what we really wanted to do," he told the outlet.

Catch new episodes of Marie Antoinette on Sundays at 10 p.m. EST, only on PBS.