How to watch the Coronation
Watch the Coronation of King Charles: preview
70 years after his mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II ascended the throne in 1953, King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla will celebrate their coronation on Saturday, May 6, six months after His Royal Highness was proclaimed King in September 2022. With 2,000 guests set to be in attendance and golden horse-drawn carriages aplenty, we explain how to watch the Coronation of King Charles now from across the Atlantic and elsewhere around the world.
Starting with The King's Procession, King Charles and Camilla will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey, where the service will begin at 11am BST and Charles and Camilla will be officially crowned. Conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, the service has been altered from previous British coronations to represent the different faiths, cultures, and communities that now shape the UK.
Those tuning in will then be able to watch as the newly crowned king and queen process back to Buckingham Palace and appear on the iconic balcony that has seen both the newly crowned and newly married royals over the years.
More excitingly, on Sunday you can watch the Coronation Concert live, where the likes of Katy Perry, Olly Murs, Take That, and Sir Tom Jones will perform – on a stage constructed outside Windsor Castle in the shape of the Union Jack, of course.
Read on for the full Coronation TV schedule in the UK and beyond, with options to watch the Coronation of King Charles online from anywhere around the world.
King Charles' Coronation TV schedule on BBC One:
Saturday, May 6
- The Coronation of HM the King: The Preparation – 7.30am-10.15am BST
- The Coronation of HM the King: The Coronation – 10.15am-1pm BST
- The Coronation of HM the King: The Celebration – 1pm-3pm BST
Sunday, May 7
- Coronation: the UK Celebrates Live – 12.30pm-2.05pm BST
- Antiques Roadshow: Coronation Special – 7pm-8pm BST
- The Coronation Concert – 8pm-10pm BST
Watch the Coronation of King Charles in the UK
Gearing up for a whole weekend of celebrations, you'll be able to watch the Coronation of King Charles on Saturday, May 6 from 10.15am BST on free-to-air channel BBC One (with a signed option available on BBC Two), presented by Kirsty Young with the the service itself starting at 11am BST from Westminster Abbey.
From 1pm BST, the BBC will broadcast the Coronation Procession, with the newly crowned King Charles and Queen Camilla set to appear on the balcony. This will be presented by Sophie Raworth, with commentary from Huw Edwards.
On Sunday, May 7 at 8pm BST, The Coronation Concert will air on BBC One, with performances from the likes of Take That, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, and the Coronation Choir.
Usually requiring a TV licence, the BBC has suspended the requirement in order for all to enjoy the weekend's festivities. As well as tuning in on linear TV, remember you can watch the Coronation live through BBC iPlayer across a number of devices, as well as being the place to watch on catch-up.
It's free to sign-up for a BBC account. All you need is an email address and a UK postcode (e.g. SW1A 1AA).
There will also be coverage on ITV1/ITVX and Sky News.
Abroad? Use a VPN using the instructions below to access BBC iPlayer like you would at home.
How to watch the Coronation from anywhere
If you're a UK citizen on vacation or working overseas, you can still watch the BBC's coverage of King Charles' Coronation just as you would at home.
While BBC iPlayer blocks access from IP addresses outside of the UK, there's a handy piece of software called a VPN which can change your IP address to make it look like you're accessing streaming services from any country in the world.
For example, UK citizens in the States can subscribe to a VPN, join a UK based server and tune into all the programmes on BBC iPlayer from anywhere in the world, just like you would back home.
Step-by-step guide to streaming with a VPN:
1. Choose a VPN and install it - our go-to recommendation is ExpressVPN
2. Connect to a server - for BBC iPlayer, for example, you'll want to connect to a server based in the UK
3. Go to the live stream you wish to access - for the Coronation, head to BBC iPlayer
Watch the Coronation of King Charles in the US
For Americans looking to tune into the spectacle, you can get a free stream of King Charles III's coronation on YouTube through The Royal Family's very own channel. Keep in mind, though, you'll need to be up bright and early with the official proceedings beginning at 6am ET / 3am PT on Saturday, May 6.
Those with cable can also tune into the likes of ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News, NBC, and BBC America for live coverage of the King's Coronation.
For cable cutters, you can access ABC CBS, Fox News, and NBC through FuboTV, which starts from $74.99 a month and offers a 7-day free trial.
Alternatively, new Sling TV subscribers can save 50% on their first month, with ABC, BBC America, and CNN available as a part of the Sling TV price on its Blue package.
For Brits wanting to tune into their native TV channel, you can get BBC coverage by unblocking with a VPN.
How to watch the Coronation free Australia
A part of the Commonwealth, Down Under is well served if they wish to watch the Coronation and see King Charles officially crowned. With the service starting in Westminster Abbey in London at 8pm AEST, Australia has free live streams broadcasting through Channel 7, Network 10, and ABC TV.
Channel 7 offers the most extensive coverage, starting from 4pm until 11.30pm AEST, and can be watched across devices through the 7Plus on-demand platform.
Alternatively, Network 10's coverage starts from 6pm until 11.30pm (10Play for online viewers), or catch ABC TV's live stream from 7.30pm until 11pm on linear TV or through its streaming service, ABC iview.
Looking to tune into Australian coverage while overseas? Use a VPN to access your native network.
Watch King Charles' Coronation in Canada
In Canada, you'll have to pay for the privilege of a commercial-free coronation live stream with the ceremony available to watch through CBC.
CBC Gem is free to use, but costs $4.99 a month to opt for its ad-free on-demand library.
For those overseas, you can use a VPN to unblock CBC from outside the Canadian border.
How to watch the Coronation online in South Africa
Those in South Africa wanting to watch the Coronation of King Charles will be able to tune into a live stream through BritBox, starting at 12pm SAST on Saturday, May 6.
BritBox comes with a 7-day free trial, thereafter it costs R99.99 a month.
What day is the Coronation of King Charles?
The Coronation of King Charles and Queen Consort Camilla will take place on Saturday, May 6 at 11am BST, with celebrations taking place across the whole weekend.
Who will conduct King Charles' Coronation?
The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, will conduct King Charles' Coronation.
Who is in the line-up for the Coronation Concert?
Alongside pre-recorded sketches including Tom Cruise, Winnie the Pooh, and Sir Tom Jones, the line-up of music performances outside Windsor Castle include:
- Take That
- Paloma Faith
- Steve Winwood
- Olly Murs
- Lionel Richie
- Katy Perry
- Lang-Lang
- Nicole Scherzinger
- Andrea Bocelli
- Sir Bryn Terfel
- Freya Ridings
- Alexis Ffrench
- Tiwa Savage
- Coronation Choir
What is the best channel to watch the Coronation?
While countries around the world will be broadcasting King Charles' Coronation live, for the quintessential experience the best channel to watch the Coronation has to be the BBC. Airing on both BBC One and BBC Two with sign language, you can also watch a live stream through just about any device through BBC iPlayer.
With the TV licence lifted so all can watch the spectacle, expats overseas wanting to tune into BBC coverage can use a VPN to access BBC iPlayer from outside the UK.
