€15 Million Villa: A Holiday Home Fit for a Princess
A luxurious holiday villa, worth €15 million, is just the kind of residence befitting a princess. Located in the hills near Benahavis, the villa features eight bedrooms spread across two wings, a cinema, a billiards room, a Turkish bath, and a gym. The villa also has a heliport next door, making it easy for high-profile guests to come and go unnoticed. The villa’s neighbours include President Putin and Cristiano Ronaldo, ensuring that the locals are used to high-profile visitors and won’t be overly curious.
Spain’s Most Exclusive Estate: La Zagaleta
The villa is situated in La Zagaleta, Spain’s most exclusive estate. No expense has been spared in the villa’s design and construction, with wall-to-wall onyx marble bathrooms featuring octagonal spa baths and gold taps. The cross-shaped pool features a polo horse and rider motif at the bottom. This palatial home is set to feature as Princess Diana’s secret Costa del Sol hideout in the fifth series of the hit TV drama, The Crown.
The Real Escape: Torre de Tramores
The villa, grandly named Palazzo delle Luce, is located just a kilometre away from the real escape, Torre de Tramores, where British Prime Minister Boris Johnson stayed earlier this month. The 600-hectare Tramores, owned by UK government minister Zac Goldsmith, is where Diana is believed to have hidden on two occasions in the mid-1990s.
Princess Diana’s Hideout in the Mid-1990s
During her stay at Tramores, Diana was accompanied by her close friend Jemima Goldsmith. The secluded location allowed her to escape the prying eyes of the media and get her life back on track. However, with the British prime minister renting the actual estate, and the Goldsmith family declining the production, the producers of The Crown opted for the next best thing, Palazzo delle Luce.
Filming at Palazzo delle Luce
The Crown’s producers hired the villa for a week and used it as a base for the team when filming nearby in Puerto Banus, San Pedro, and in the village of Benahavis. Several scenes were set in Villa Mozart, and filming also took place in a couple of locations nearby in Benahavis.
Boost for Local Tourism
The filming of The Crown and the visit of Boris Johnson have been a boon for local tourism. The production filmed at Los Amigos restaurant and the Hotel Amanhavis in the village, as well as on the stunning Titania yacht, which they rented for a reported £600,000 a week.
Marbella: A Favourite Among the Stars
Marbella also benefited from the filming of The Crown, with the Netflix crew filming several times around Puerto Banus. Director Philip Martin was spotted directing Australian star Elizabeth Debicki, who has replaced British star Emma Corrin as Diana in the fifth series. Other actors spotted around the Spanish resort were Dominic West, who plays Prince Charles, and Imelda Staunton, who plays the Queen.
The Crown’s Fifth Series: Focus on Diana’s Relationship with Prince Charles
The fifth series of The Crown will heavily focus on the collapse of Diana’s relationship with Prince Charles. It will recall her various trips to Spain during the mid-1990s, including her ill-fated trip to stay at Mijas’ Hotel Byblos in 1994 when she was photographed topless.
Princess Diana’s Successful Trips to Tramores
Diana’s trips to Tramores were far more successful, although she came close to being discovered when she had her sons, princes William and Harry, with her in 1995 or 1996. Despite this close call, Diana was able to get her life back on track and discuss her next moves after her divorce with one of her best friends.
The Crown’s Filming in Spain
The Crown’s filming in Spain has been a success, with the production team now relocated to Mallorca. The filming has been a boost for local tourism and has put the spotlight on Spain’s luxurious estates and beautiful landscapes.
