How to watch the coronation of King Charles on TV in the UK and US

Your ultimate viewing guide for the coronation!

a close up of King Charles waving to crowds in Milton Keynes
(Image credit: Future/Getty)

Here's how to watch coronation of King Charles from anywhere in the world.

It's almost time for the coronation! May 6, 2023 marks a day for the history books as people across the globe come together to see King Charles crowned alongside Queen Camilla in a spectacular coronation ceremony. Just like Queen Elizabeth II's coronation - back in 1953 - Charles will be crowned at Westminster Abbey with a special carriage procession before and after the service.

Many royal fans are expected to travel to London to line the streets and catch a glimpse of the King on his big day - and many have been asking if trains will be running on coronation day and wondering where's the best coronation events for kids. But for the millions of people who can't make it to the capital, we've shared details of how you can watch the coronation of King Charles from home.

How to watch the coronation in the UK:

UK viewers can watch King Charles III's coronation on BBC One and BBC iPlayer. ITV and Sky will also have live coverage of the coronation procession and ceremony on their TV channels.

BBC Two will additionally air signed coverage of the ceremony, whilst the interactive red button will have coverage for those who are blind or partially sighted. Audiences that would prefer to tune into the coronation via radio, can listen along via BBC Radio 2 and BBC sounds.

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Whilst the coronation ceremony kicks off at 11am (GMT), it's likely that TV coverage will begin much earlier in the morning. As with previous royal events - such as the Queen's funeral and royal weddings like Prince Harry and Meghan and Prince William and Princess Kate - BBC and ITV coverage has seen royal experts and friends giving their opinions and anecdotes in the build-up to the event.

Charles' coronation procession from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey for the ceremony will be shown on television, ahead of the ceremony. Live broadcasting of the event is expected to finish after the Royal Family have appeared on the balcony at Buckingham Palace.

The BBC have teased that their coverage will include "an extensive network of cameras to give audiences a front row seat". Presenters include Kirsty Young, Claire Balding and JJ Chalmers, alongside BBC favourites Huw Edwards, Sophie Raworth and Anita Rani.

Lead presenter Kirsty Young says: "I’m very happy indeed to be part of the BBC’s Coronation coverage, as our cameras capture history in the making. Ceremony, spectacle and a right royal celebration – it’s got all the ingredients of a weekend worth watching."

How to watch the coronation in the US:

US Viewers can watch King Charles' coronation via BBC America. This can be accessed via Hulu or a subscription with BritBox. Major US news networks like ABC, CNN and Fox News are likely to show coverage too.

Due to the time difference, US viewers will have to be up pretty early on May 6 to watch the ceremony on TV. The service at Westmister Abbey starts at 6am EST, but if you want to see the carriage procession from Buckingham Palace before, you'll need to rise and shine a little earlier.

How to watch the coronation in other countries:

For those wanting to catch Coronation coverage from other parts of the world, the BBC have confirmed that "audiences outside the UK will be able to watch on the BBC News channel, or listen on the World Service".

How to watch the Coronation Concert:

The Coronation Concert will be broadcast on BBC1 at 8pm on Sunday 7 May. The concert will air live from the grounds of Windsor Castle.

Royal fans can also watch and listen to coverage of the concert via BBC iPlayer, BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds. Big screens showing the coronation concert will also be put up in parks across the country - including London's St Jame's Park.

Kirsty Young will return to present the Coronation concert, with Radio 1's Clara Amfo and Diversity star Jordan Banjo interviewing artists backstage ahead of their performances. 

How many people will watch the coronation?

According to Slingo, around 300 million people worldwide are predicted to watch the coronation of King Charles III

As for how many will be tuning in at home, Dom Aldworth, Head of Brand Marketing at Slingo says: "54% of Brits are set to watch the highly anticipated coronation next weekend - however, 41% have reported being unlikely to watch. 

"As the event rolls out, it will be interesting to see just how many people will be watching the live broadcast, especially in comparison to other past royal events. 

"Even though the event is not attracting as many viewers as expected, many Brits will still be watching and participating in community events such as street parties and games such as Pin the Crown on the King."

According to their data, Queen Elizabeth's funeral was the most watched royal event of all time, with an estimated 4.1 billion people viewing around the globe.

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Emily Stedman
Features Editor

Emily Stedman is the former Features Editor for GoodTo covering all things TV, entertainment, royal, lifestyle, health and wellbeing. Boasting an encyclopaedic knowledge on all things TV, celebrity and royals, career highlights include working at HELLO! Magazine and as a royal researcher to Diana biographer Andrew Morton on his book Meghan: A Hollywood Princess. In her spare time, Emily can be found eating her way around London, swimming at her local Lido or curled up on the sofa binging the next best Netflix show.