Here’s How to Watch King Charles' Coronation if You’re Living for the Drama...and Living in the USA
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King Charles’s coronation is coming up in just a few weeks, and we recommend watching if any of these describe you:
Despite your better judgment, you just love the pomp and circumstance of the royal family.
You absolutely live for royal drama and are dying to see whether or not Prince Harry shows up on the royal balcony.
You’re obsessed with royal fashion and need to lay eyes on Kate Middleton’s coronation look.
You wake up freakishly early on weekends and need something to do with yourself at 6:00 a.m ET.
You’re deeply amused by all the celebrities who conveniently had excuses as to why they couldn’t attend.
Cool/great to all of the above, but due to the fact that King Charles’s coronation is a distinctly British event, you might be wondering if network stations like ABC, CBS, or NBC will devote their entire weekend to covering it. Not necessarily, but there are definitely options if you’re looking to settle into an hours-long livestream and truly commit to King Charles making things official.
How to Watch the Coronation on TV
King Charles’s coronation officially takes place on Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey. The entire ceremony is being televised live on the BBC in England and is also airing on the BBC News channel in America!
Meanwhile, anchor Alex Witt will cover the coronation from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET on MSNBC, with NBC News correspondents reporting on-the-ground from London.
If you’re TV-less, reminder that you can get yourself a free Live TV trial and/or steal someone’s cable log-in.
How to Watch the Coronation Online for Free
Good news: US audiences can watch the entire coronation (for free!) on BBC.com. They’re kicking things off super early, starting coverage at 2:30 a.m. ET and ending at 10:00 a.m.
It also seems prettttttty likely that the coronation will be broadcast by Sky News via their live YouTube. The Telegraph also reports that rolling news coverage of the coronation will be covered on ITV’s “social media platforms.”
When Does the Coronation Start, You Ask?
The ceremony is expected to start mid-morning at 11:00 a.m. UK time, which will be 6:00 a.m. ET here in (the east coast of) of the U.S. Prepare yourself accordingly.
^ Me waking up at 6:00 a.m.
What to Expect Throughout the Day
Honestly, a lot of the coronation will consist of lengthy ceremonies, oaths, processions, and standing around (we have a full step-by-step explainer this way), but one thing everyone should be looking out for? An appearance from Prince Harry.
The Sussexes were officially invited to the coronation, and—while Duchess Meghan is staying in California with the couples' children—Harry will be at the event. That said, he won’t have an official role in the ceremony and will likely leave right after it’s over. You also shouldn’t expect him to appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony.
As royal expert Angela Mollard put it to The Express, “There is no chance they’re going to be on the balcony—the Queen wanted a slimmed-down monarchy. Charles is further enforcing that. He has dealt beautifully with Andrew and they need to turn around and say there’s no chance they’ll get a place on that balcony.”
It’s all sounding pretty dramatic, so you can see why we’ll be waking up early to watch!
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