King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be crowned as U.K. monarchs on Saturday, May 6. For many (unless you are at least 70) it will be the first time seeing a British monarch crowned.
The coronation celebrations begin during the small hours of Saturday morning in the U.S. and carry on for the duration of the weekend, from the royal procession to the coronation concert on Sunday night, as viewers will get to see how Charles shakes up the traditional ceremony.
“The coronation will reflect the monarch’s role today and look toward the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry,” Buckingham Palace wrote in a statement.
Here is a breakdown of how to watch the ceremony in the U.S. and what to expect.
What time does the coronation start?
The coronation service will begin at approximately 4 a.m. MDT or 11 a.m. in London on Saturday, May 6. The ceremony is expected to run for roughly 90 minutes, during which Charles will sign an oath pledging to serve the people. He and Queen Camilla will both be crowned — Charles with the Imperial State Crown and Camilla with the Queen Mary’s Crown, as reported by the Deseret News.
Here is a breakdown of the coronation events on May 6:
Approximately 3:30 a.m. MDT: Charles and Camilla will ride in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach from Buckingham Palace in the king’s procession to Westminster Abbey, according to Buckingham Palace. The king’s procession will leave from Buckingham Palace, travel down the Mall, pass through Admiralty Arch and Trafalgar Square, down Whitehall and along Parliament Street to Westminster Abbey.
4 a.m. MDT: The coronation ceremony will begin at 4 a.m. MDT, or 11 a.m. in London. Charles and Camilla will be crowned and anointed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
Approximately 5:30 a.m. MDT: At the conclusion of the ceremony, their majesties will travel back to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach, which has been used in every coronation since 1831, per Buckingham Palace.
This procession — known as the Coronation Procession — will follow the same path taken in the morning but will be larger in scale. Armed forces from the U.K. and the Commonwealth will be included.
Approximately 6 a.m. MDT: After the procession, Charles and Camilla will receive a royal salute and three cheers from the Armed Forces. Finally, they will appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony to give their first balcony waves as king and queen — they will be accompanied by other working royals such as William and Kate.
Coronation celebrations will carry on for the duration of the weekend, including a bank holiday in the U.K. on Monday, May 8. Buckingham Palace is encouraging people to celebrate with coronation big lunches throughout the weekend.
On Sunday, May 7, a coronation concert featuring performances from Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Andrea Bocelli and others will be held on Windsor Castle grounds at 1 p.m. MDT.
How to watch the coronation in the U.S.
Several U.S. media outlets will present the coronation ceremony for American viewers. ABC News and “Good Morning America” are teaming up to provide TV coverage of the ceremony on Saturday morning from 3 a.m. to 8 a.m. MDT.
CBS will also provide live coverage of the event — “The Coronation of King Charles III” — beginning at 3 a.m. MDT. The show will be anchored by CBS hosts Michelle Miller, Dana Jacobson and Jeff Glor. Vanity Fair editor Tina Brown and Julian Payne, former communications director for Charles, will join the coverage.
Anderson Cooper will lead the CNN coverage beginning at 3 a.m. MDT outside Buckingham Palace, and he will be joined by special correspondents Christiane Amanpour and Max Foster. Commentary will also be given from CNN royal historian Kate Williams and expert Emily Nash.
Fox News will air “The Coronation of King Charles III and Camilla” from the ceremony in London beginning at 3 a.m. MDT. Coverage will be led by Martha MacCallum and Ainsley Earhardt. Commentary from British broadcaster Piers Morgan will air.
A special coverage of the coronation ceremony from BBC America will stream between 3 a.m. MDT and 8 a.m. MDT. It will be available to stream on the BBC app or website.
Where to watch if you don’t have cable
- Watch on CBS News livestream.
- Watch on DirectTV.
- Watch on Hulu + Live TV.
- Watch on Sling TV.
- Watch on ABCNews.com.
- Watch on GoodMorningAmerica.com.
- Watch on Paramount+.
- Watch on Britbox.
Can I watch the coronation concert on TV?
Yes, the coronation concert will be broadcast live on Sunday, May 7, at 1 p.m. MDT. It will be available through BBC News and the other media outlets noted above.
Some of the performers include: Lionel Richie, Katy Perry, the British pop group Take That and the Royal Shakespeare Company, per BBC News.
Will Prince Harry attend the coronation?
Prince Harry will attend the coronation of King Charles and Queen Camilla alone. His wife, Meghan Markle, will stay at home in California with their two children.
“Buckingham Palace is pleased to confirm that the Duke of Sussex will attend the Coronation Service at Westminster Abbey on 6 May. The Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet,” Buckingham Palace shared in a statement, per The Guardian.
Harry’s involvement in the ceremony — such as if he will appear on the Buckingham Palace balcony — has not been revealed.
Several reports claim Harry will be in the U.K. for a mere 24 hours and plans to depart as soon as the coronation ceremony wraps up. According to Deadline, the prince hopes to make it back to California in time to celebrate his son Archie’s birthday (which also lands on May 6).
Harry has not publicly appeared with his family since the release of his controversial memoir, “Spare,” in January. There will probably be little to no interaction between William and Harry at the coronation ceremony.
“I do not anticipate warm interactions between Harry and William,” Kinsey Schofield, the host of the “To Di For Daily” podcast, told Fox News. “We know that palace staff is planning every entry, exit and seat with the battling brothers in mind. The palace’s ultimate objective is to avoid conflict.”
“Both William and (his wife) Catherine will tolerate Harry’s presence because, despite the bad blood and betrayal, there is a deep love for him in both of them,” Schofield added.