Monday 22nd May, 2006
11 AM – The Backs, Cambridge. Another day filming Elizabeth’s state barge on the Cam – and another day of torrential rain.
Category: Golden Age Diary
Sunday 21st May, 2006
9 AM – The Backs, Cambridge. Filming today on the river Cam which is being the river Thames for us. At least we would be were it not for the rain – one of the pitfalls of filming in an English summer!
Thursday 18h May, 2006
2 PM – First Court, St. John’s College, Cambridge. John’s was founded by Margaret Beaufort, the mother of Henry VII (and so Elizabeth’s great grandmother) on the site of the mediaeval hospital of St. John. The first court in John’s was largely built between 1511 and 1520 and so makes a perfect setting for one of the great fabled scenes from Elizabeth’s reign.
Tuesday 16th May, 2006
3 PM – Winchester Cathedral, Hampshire. Back in the nave of Winchester cathedral for a sequence in which Elizabeth gives her orders to make England ready for the imminent Armada.
Wednesday 17th May, 2006
9 AM – ‘J’ Stage, Shepperton Studios. J stage is transformed this morning into a torture chamber in the Tower of London.
Monday 15th May, 2006
Today we’re in the nave of Winchester cathedral, magnificently remodelled by William of Wykeham in the early 15th century. Not surprisingly however this is not Winchester for us, but St. Paul’s cathedral in London. St Paul’s – old St. Paul’s that is – was gutted in the great fire of London in 1666 and then demolished to make way for the present cathedral so we can’t film in the real location.
Thursday 11th/ Friday12th May, 2006
Shooting in Winchester cathedral, one of my favourite buildings in England, dating in part from the late 11th century. For most of these two days we’re in the Lady chapel where we meet Anthony Babington – I won’t say in what context as it’s a pivotal moment in the film.
History’onics’
There was hue and cry in the British Press when I made Elizabeth. She was called the Virgin Queen and I showed her in bed with Robert Dudley.
Where did time go ?
Yesterday was the first day of the shoot.
And on paper it says
I have shot for three weeks
Wednesday 10th May, 2006
2 PM Hatfield House, Hertfordshire. The whole of today is set aside to shoot a scene of Walsingham and his brother in the study in his London house on Seething Lane. There are books everywhere, on row after row of oak bookcase, on tables and desks.