The Hollywood Reporter
If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, The Hollywood Reporter may receive an affiliate commission.
The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla is scheduled for Saturday, May 6, marking the first time that the ceremony will be livestreamed. Coverage in the U.S. begins at 2 a.m. PT / 5 a.m. ET, one hour before the historic event begins.
Taking place at Westminster Abbey in London, the royal ceremony will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury and “will reflect the monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry,” according to an official release from Buckingham Palace. Prince Harry (who released his New York Times-bestselling memoir, Spare, in January) is confirmed to attend his father’s coronation, while his wife, Meghan Markle, will remain at their home in California.
U.K. viewers can watch the coronation for free on BBC One, BBC Two, the BBC iPlayer online and the public broadcast network ITV, or in Ultra HD with a Sky TV package (£26 and up monthly).
Those in the U.S. will need to rise and shine early to catch the pomp and circumstance from across the pond, and most local and national news networks will be livestreaming on their websites and apps, including NBC, CNN and ABC.
Prefer to cut the cord? Keep reading below to find out where to watch on TV or stream the coronation online without cable, as well as where to catch up on all things royal (including where to watch The Crown, Harry & Meghan and other tell-all documentaries).
King Charles III Coronation: Date, Time, How to Watch Online
The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla starts at 6 a.m. ET (or 11 a.m. BST) on Saturday, May 6, and live news coverage begins an hour early in the U.S. starting at 2 a.m. PT / 5 a.m. ET. It will air in the States on major cable and broadcast networks including ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC and Fox News.
If you don’t have cable and want to cut the cord, you can watch the coronation on live TV streaming services that carry those channels, including DirecTV, Fubo, Hulu with Live TV, Sling and YouTube TV. Streaming services Paramount+ and NBCUniversal’s Peacock will also offer access to the event for subscribers of select packages. Keep in mind that if you don’t have a smart TV, you’ll need to plug in a streaming stick or another device (such as Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV Stick or Roku) into your television to watch online without cable.
See below for the breakdown of pricing for the above streaming services, as well as other ways to catch up on the royal family.
Previously AT&T TV, DirecTV lets you watch more than 65 other channels under its Entertainment package ($65 monthly), including BBC, CNN, CNBC and more. Other plans ($85 to $155 monthly) offer over 90 to 140 channels and subscribers can connect via DirecTV’s Gemini device (requires an existing internet connection) or satellite dish (Gemini device and HD DVR equipment included, existing internet connection required). For a limited time, new customers get a price guarantee for their first two years and a $200 Visa gift card.
DirecTV Subscription $65 and up monthly Buy now
Priced from $75 to $95 monthly, FuboTV has a range of plans with a minimum of 140 channels, including most of the popular news, entertainment, lifestyle and sports networks as well as over 130 events in 4K. If you’re a new customer, you can watch King Charles III’s coronation for free when you sign up for Fubo’s seven-day trial.
FuboTV Subscription $75 and up quarterly Buy now
You can also watch the coronation without cable on Hulu with Live TV, which includes ABC, NBC, CNN and more than 85 other major cable news, entertainment and sports channels. The live TV streaming service comes bundled with Disney+ and ESPN+ and is available with or without ads (except on ESPN+) for $70 to $83 monthly. You can add Cinemax, HBO Max, Showtime and Starz for an additional monthly fee.
National Geographic’s Charles: In His Own Words documentary is available to watch now on Hulu, and will be released May 5 on Disney+. The documentary Diana: In Her Own Words, which features the Princess’ own words as recorded by author Andrew Morton, is also available on Disney+.
Hulu with Live TV, Disney+ and ESPN+ Subscription $70 and up monthly Buy now
King Charles III’s coronation will also be streaming on Paramount+. The service costs $5 (or $50 annually) for the ad-supported Essential package or $10 (or $100 annually) for the ad-free Premium tier, and both come with a seven-day free trial for new subscribers.
The streamer also offers access to the documentary series King Charles: The Boy Who Walked Alone, which reveals a behind-the-scenes look at the soon-to-be crowned monarch through the stories and personal letters of close friends, ex-lovers and confidantes.
Paramount+ Subscription $5 and up monthly Buy now
Subscribers of Peacock’s ad-free Premium Plus plan ($10 monthly or $100 annually) can watch the coronation, as the streamer is owned by NBCUniversal and offers live, 24/7 access to your local NBC channel. Learn more about the package options here.
Peacock Premium Plus Subscription $10 monthly Buy now
Another way to watch the coronation online is with Sling TV. The online TV streaming service offers free three-day trials for its Blue and Orange & Blue plans ($40 to $55 per month), which include ABC, NBC, Fox and more than 40 other local broadcast channels. For a limited time, save half off your first month.
Sling TV Subscription $40 and up monthly Buy now
The popular video platform’s live TV service offers access to over 85 networks, including many of your local cable and broadcast channels. Monthly subscriptions start at $65, but new subscribers can get a deal right now for $55 per month for the first three months.
YouTube TV Subscription $65 and up monthly Buy now
If you’re a Sky TV subscriber living outside of the U.K., you can use ExpressVPN to access your account and securely watch from the U.S. and elsewhere. The service costs $7 to $13 per month and lets you log into high-speed servers across more than 90 countries while keeping your data private and secure, and new subscribers get three free months; learn more here.
ExpressVPN $7 and up monthly Buy now
More Royal Coverage: Where to Watch The Crown and More
If you want to watch more about the British monarchy, there’s plenty of royal drama to soak up on streaming services. From the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s tell-all docuseries to documentaries on King Charles III, Queen Elizabeth, Princess Diana of Wales and other royal family members, find out where to watch and read more about Buckingham Palace and beyond.
Netflix
Netflix ($7 to $20 monthly) is home to the fictionalized drama series The Crown and the top-streamed docuseries Harry & Meghan.
HBO Max
HBO Max subscriptions include access to Diana, Our Mother: Her Life and Legacy (released during the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s tragic death), which features interviews with Prince William and Prince Harry; The Princess; and the 2018 documentary on Queen Elizabeth, Queen of the World, to name a few.
BritBox
Anglophiles can also subscribe to BritBox, which offers access to some of the best British TV shows and is on sale for $4 for the first month until May 8. The streamer offers the Oscar-nominated A Queen Is Crowned, which is the only color footage of Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953.
Apple TV+
Apple TV+ subscribers can watch several BBC documentaries about the royal family, including 2022’s Elizabeth: The Unseen Queen, Diana: Seven Days that Shook the World (which was commissioned by the two princes, who appear in the documentary) and Elizabeth at 90, among others.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime members can watch PBS documentaries including Prince Charles at 70, Elizabeth & Philip: Love & Duty, The Queen at War and more on Prime Video, which is also available as a standalone service for $9 per month. (Otherwise, Prime membership is $15 per month or $139 annually; an additional subscription to BBC Select may be required for some titles.)
Source: Hollywood Reporter
