Will the coronation of King Charles be televised? How to watch the event in the UK and US

Coronation of King Charles will take place at Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6. The King and Queen Consort will be crowned by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Archbishop Justin Welby, and millions of well-wishers are expected to flock to central London to witness the historic event. Additional holiday on Monday, May 8, was approved to mark the occasion.

For viewers watching the coronation at homethe main British broadcasters – BBC, ITV and Sky – will broadcast the ceremony live.

The BBC has confirmed that a host of its most established broadcasters will lead their coverage of the coronation. On the day of the ceremonyKirsty Young will broadcast from a studio in Buckingham Palace, Huw Edwards will commentate as the doors of Westminster Abbey open for the historic event, and Sophie Raworth will be outside the Abbey talking to guests as they arrive.

Elsewhere on the BBC, JJ Chalmers will address members of the military on parade, Clare Balding will commentate on the parade route and Anita Rani will join the thousands of well-wishers gathered around the Palace, Mall and Abbey.

The BBC offers a one-time license fee payment (which normally costs £159 for an annual color license or £53.50 for a black and white alternative) for venues and community settings that do not normally require a TV broadcast license Coronation ceremonies over the weekend. According to the BBC, community environments ranged from churches, town halls, community centers and libraries to residential streets across Britain, as well as commercial spaces that function as community venues such as concert halls, performing arts venues, cinemas and shops . It also applies to outdoor venues that have equipment to show the event.

However, businesses or events that charge for food, drink or admission are not covered by the license fee.

How to watch the coronation on TV

BBC

Channels across the BBC network (BBC One and Two and iPlayer) will broadcast a series of live recordings from 7.30am on the day of the ceremony, while Radio 2, Radio 4 and the BBC Sounds app will broadcast live radio broadcasts.

The central coronation ceremony on Saturday 6 Kirsty Young hosts live from the studio at Buckingham Palace and Huw Edwards commentating as the doors to Westminster Abbey open. On BBC Two, deaf viewers can access a fully signed version of the live broadcast, while there will also be a broadcast for blind or partially sighted people on Red Button, hosted by Petroc Trelawny.

On the airwaves, you can expect ongoing coverage from BBC journalists including Martha Kearney, Mishal Husain, James Naughtie, Eleanor Oldroyd and royal correspondent Jonny Dymond.

Crown concertfeaturing some of the world’s most exciting musicians, dancers and a world-class orchestra (from US stars Katy Perry and Lionel Richie to Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and homegrown boy band Take That), will be broadcast live on BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds from the grounds of Windsor Castle, on the East Lawn, May 7 at 8pm.

Fans of veteran journalist and former Desert Island Discs presenter Kirsty Young – who delivered some of the BBC’s most moving coverage of the late Queen’s funeral – will be delighted to know she will be hosting the special event live from the Castle Yard. Young said in a statement: “I am delighted to be part of the BBC’s coverage of the Coronation as our cameras capture history in the making. Ceremony, spectacle and true royal celebration – it has all the ingredients of a weekend worth seeing.”

Elsewhere on the BBC, during the Coronation concert, Clara Amfo and Jordan Banjo will be backstage with the artists, while Zoe Ball and Dermot O’Leary will be chatting to the performers and the audience for Radio 2.

Tim Davie, director general of the BBC, said in a statement: “The BBC is very proud to bring ground-breaking events and great historical moments to audiences across the UK and beyond. We will deliver the full crowning glory with all the quality, ambition and excellence for which our teams are known around the world.”

ITV

The coronation will be shown on all ITV1 regional repeats (from 8.30am), with ongoing news presented on ITV News streaming on ITVX and across their social media platforms.

Julie Etchingham and Tom Bradby, who presented television coverage of the late Queen’s funeral, will also take the reigns at the coronation.

Channel 4

Given its predominantly younger audience, it is perhaps unsurprising that Channel 4 has announced plans to mark the coronation in a different way to the BBC and ITV. Instead of live coverage of the ceremony or concert, the broadcaster will offer the following in the run-up to the event: Frankie Boyle’s Farewell to the Monarchy, in which the comedian questions whether the royal family has a place in the modern world; a Windsor coronation special, with Harry Enfield reprising his role as King Charles; and Emily Maitlis presents Andrew – the troubled prince, discussing the 2019 Newsnight interview that sent shock waves across the monarchy.

Channel 4’s head of content, Ian Katz, said: “Channel 4 exists to offer viewers an alternative, so when pomp, circumstance and wrench-pulling have taken over the country, we’ll be offering a much less reverent line-up, including The Case of Frankie Boyle against the monarchy and the Windsors’ haughty satirical view of coronations.’

The sky

Meanwhile, Sky’s coverage of the ceremony will be led by Alastair Bruce and Kay Burley and will be broadcast on Sky News and Sky Showcase.