The world will be watching as the Coronation of King Charles III takes place on Saturday, May 6, 2023, and you can see it too with our guide on how to watch King Charles' Coronation.
To mark the historic event, a royally packed programming schedule will air over the Coronation bank holiday weekend as well as the two-week build-up. Festivities will include processions, a star-studded music concert and nationwide lunches.
Specially curated programmes will begin on April 23 and end on May 7, the day after the King is crowned.
Here is our guide to all the shows to get you in the mood for a right Royal knees-up...
Will the King's Coronation be televised?
Yes. The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be marked with a series of Royal-themed TV specials which will air in the lead-up and during the bank holiday weekend.
The Coronation on Saturday, May 6 will be the centerpiece of live coverage with ceremonial events, including the Westminster Abbey service, broadcast across numerous TV channels.
Check out our day-by-day guide to all the programmes on TV covering this monumental day in history...
What's happening on Friday, May 5?
BBC One
Royal Bargain Hunt, 12.15pm
Presenter Christina Trevanion hosts a special Coronation episode from the Newark Antiques fair where the Red and Blue teams have £300 to spend on royal-themed items.
"It's an absolute honour to present this special episode," says Christina. "I'm lucky to have been present at previous royal occasions inducing Queen Elizabeth II's Golden Jubilee and Platinum Jubilee, and I am really looking forward to our King's Coronation and the chance to celebrate another important historical event with our nation."
HM The King's Coronation: The Eve of the Coronation, 7 pm
Kirsty Young is joined by a range of guests who five personal insights into the Kid and Queen Consort as they look ahead to the Coronation.
Sing For The King: The Search for the Coronation Choir, 8pm
Sing For The King: The Search for the Coronation Choir sees choirmaster Gareth Malone prepare for his toughest audience yet — the King, Queen Camilla and millions of viewers around the world.
Joined by mentors Amanda Holden, Motsi Mabuse and Rose Ayling-Ellis, he will form a 300-strong choir comprised of some of the existing choirs around the UK, to sing at King Charles’ Coronation Concert at Windsor Castle.
They will work with singers from choirs including a group of London Cabbies, an all-deaf sign performance group, a refugee choir and a troupe of RNLI sea shanty singers from Portishead, and coach them to give a pitch-perfect performance fit for a King.
ITV
Lorraine Coronation special, 9am
Lorraine will host guests every day in the week leading up to the Coronation, covering different aspects of the celebration including Lady Glenconner who was Maid of Honour at the Queen’s Coronation ceremony. On Friday, May 5, Lorraine will dedicate the entire programme to Coronation content including the best food for Coronation street parties to the most fashionable party looks.
On Monday, May 8 Loose Women will host an extended 75-minute show for the Coronation Bank Holiday.
This Morning's Coronation Street Party, 10am
Two of ITV1’s most iconic shows are set to join forces for a very special show ahead of HM The King’s Coronation. This Morning and Coronation Street will come together and get the Coronation weekend celebrations started with an extraordinary edition of This Morning, that will broadcast live from the Corrie cobbles for a 150-minute special.
On Friday 5th May, Friday hosts Alison Hammond and Dermot O’Leary will take the show’s famous blue sofa from Television Centre in West London to ‘Weatherfield’ in Greater Manchester — and viewers are invited to join them for a show packed with special guests and a party fit for a King!
Loose Women Coronation Special, 12.30pm
Loose Women will put on a celebration fit for a King as the studio is transformed into a great British garden party!
Joining in with events happening up and down the country, the live studio audience will be invited to take part in green-themed royal knees up, in honour of His Majesty The King.
The panel will be dressed to impress for the occasion and joined by Royal super-fans and showbiz guests throughout the episode to honour the Coronation.
What's happening on Saturday, May 6?
BBC One
Live coverage of the Coronation Service with Kirsty Young and Huw Edwards, from 7.30 am
After an exciting build up to the big event, the Coronation of King Charles III will take place on Saturday, May 6.
The BBC will host live coverage of the ceremonial events as they unfold - starting with the early military movements. Cameras will give audiences a front row seat as Their Majesties The King and Queen make the ceremonial route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.
Following the historic Coronation Service, the newly crowned monarchs will make their return procession to Buckingham Palace, and greet the nation on its famous balcony.
On the day, Kirsty Young will be in a studio at Buckingham Palace, while JJ Chalmers speaks to members of the military as they prepare for one of the largest parades in living history.
Veteran broadcaster Huw Edwards will provide commentary from inside the Abbey and Sophie Raworth will be outside speaking to guests as they arrive. Additionally, Clare Balding will provide commentary for the ceremonial route, and Anita Rani will join the gathered crowds.
Coverage will be on BBC One and iPlayer with a signed version on BBC Two. There will also be accessible coverage for people who are blind or partially sighted on the Red Button, hosted by Petroc Trelawny.
Speaking of her role on Coronation Day Anita Rani told us: "It's a massive honour to be part of the BBC’s Coronation coverage. I am very excited. This is not my first rodeo. It's become a running joke in my family that I get invited by the royals to every event!"
And Anita has the prime position to see the King go by... "I'm at THE spot to be because King Charles will go past us on his way to Westminster Abbey and then when he comes back to Buckingham Palace. We'll be there at the epic moment where they open up The Mall and hordes will flood towards the Palace — it's giving me goosebumps!”
The Coronation: A Day to Remember, 7.00 pm
This show takes a look back at the day's celebrations, bringing viewers all the highlights of the Coronation.
ITV
Good Morning Britain and ITV New specials, from 8.30 am - 3 pm
From 6am Good Morning Britain will air a one-off special episode in celebration of the Coronation. Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard will be live from Westminster Abbey, Ranvir Singh will be outside the Abbey speaking to guests as they arrive, Kate Garraway will be live from Buckingham Palace, Charlotte Hawkins will be with the Armed Forces and Laura Tobin will be live from the Long Walk in Windsor. Special guests that day will include Mel B and Jonathan Dimbleby amongst others.
Then at 8.30am ITV will air a special ITV News programme King Charles III: The Coronation. Presented by Julie Etchingham and Tom Bradby, the programme will broadcast live from a special studio outside of Buckingham Palace, with commentary from Mary Nightingale outside Westminster Abbey and James Mates who during the service, will explain the ancient traditions and rituals shown on screen. Nina Hossain will be with the gathering crowds at the Mall and Charlene White will report from RAF Waddington where the Red Arrow performers will be preparing for their flypast.
ITVX will also have an hour-long highlight show that will be available that evening.
Sky News
Live coverage of the Coronation Service with Joanna Lumley, Kay Burley and Anna Botting
Over on Sky News, national treasure Joanna Lumley will be joining presenters Kay Burley and Anna Botting for coverage of the King's Coronation.
The Absolutely Fabulous actress, will also attend the service at Westminster Abbey as a guest of Charles and Camilla.
Every aspect of the majestic event will be televised, and advert breaks will be removed between 9am-3pm on Sky News to ensure uninterrupted coverage of the main event on Saturday, May 6.
Audiences will be able to watch multiple live streams on the Sky News website, app and their YouTube channel. Additionally, the coronation will be publicly broadcast at more than 30 big screen sites across the UK.
What's happening on Sunday, May 7?
BBC One
The celebrations continue on Sunday, May 7 2023 with a host of programmes, culminating with a star-studded Coronation Concert.
Coronation Kitchen Live
To mark the historic coronation, Saturday Kitchen will broadcast live, looking ahead to the Big Lunch and the Coronation Concert.
Songs of Praise: A Coronation Celebration, 12 pm
Katherine Jenkins and Pam Rhodes visit the magnificent Hampton Court Palace, looking back into royal history and exploring what may define King Charles III's reign.
Antiques Roadshow Coronation Special, 7 pm
Antiques Roadshow Coronation Special is a special edition of the much-loved programme, celebrating Britain’s fascination with all things regal by taking a look through the show’s archives.
Hosted by Fiona Bruce and featuring all manner of antiques experts, the episode looks at the tradition of royal gifts, including exquisitely crafted treasures, that have been given by kings and queens to trusted members of staff, such as a jeweled bracelet given by Queen Victoria to a lady-in-waiting.
It will also look at the popularity of coronation merchandise — everything from tea towels to tableware gets the tills ringing, as members of the public can't wait to have their own piece of the event with some coronation souvenirs.
The Coronation Concert, 8 pm
Broadcast live from Windsor Castle, The Coronation Concert promises to be a spectacular event bringing icons from the worlds of music and entertainment together, as they perform in honour of the King and Queen.
Downton Abbey favourite Hugh Bonneville will host the concert which boasts a line-up including Take That, Bette Midler and Lionel Richie.
The extravaganza will also feature a performance from The Coronation Choir, a diverse group of 300 amateur singers and community choirs from across the country, including refugee choirs, NHS choirs, LGBTQ+ singing groups and deaf signing choirs
Kirsty Young returns to anchor the BBC's live broadcast, and DJs Clara Amfo and Jordan Banjo will be backstage, talking with artists who'll be performing in front of a 20,000-strong crowd.
As a spectacular centrepiece of the Coronation Concert, ‘Lighting up the Nation’, will see iconic locations across the United Kingdom be lit up using projections, lasers, potential drone displays and illuminations.
What else is on to celebrate the Coronation?
There are a whole host of royally-themed shows in the run up to the coronation bank holiday weekend. Here's a rundown of the programmes and how you can watch them...
The King and the Countryside, catch up now on iPlayer
On April 23, Countryfile is airing a Royal-based special episode called The King and the Countryside.
Hosted by children's presenter and Strictly Come Dancing 2022 champion Hamza Yassin and Charlotte Smith, the programme will showcase the monarch's long-standing passion for farming and preserving the country's wildlife as the pair travel to Dumfries House, a showcase for His Majesty's passion for rural life.
Charlotte meets schoolchildren at the estate's education farm and garden to find out about the King's ambition to create the next generation of nature-loving food producers, and his mission to reinvigorate traditional crafts, while Hamza discovers how the 2,000-acre estate has been transformed to help wildlife, and welcomes the newest residents to the walled garden — hedgehogs.
Ainsley's Coronation Kitchen, catch up on ITVX
Ahead of HM King Charles III being crowned, chef Ainsley Harriott will be cooking a menu of celebratory dishes to see us through the bank holiday weekend — from homely banquets, to street parties with your neighbours.
On the menu in Ainsley's Coronation Kitchen will be a mix of classics, and true Ainsley style, he'll be adding a spicy twist to a few traditional favourites.
Joining Ainsley in the kitchen will be television star and podcaster Spencer Matthews, The Great British Bake Off’s Ruby Bhogal, writer and presenter Georgia Toffolo. Drinks expert Jilly Goolden will also be helping to create the perfect tipple to accompany every dish.
"Ainsley's Coronation Kitchen is going to be a real celebration of this unique event," promises the popular chef.
Songs of Praise: The King's Journey to Coronation, catch up now on iPlayer
Presenter Aled Jones visits Highgrove House and gardens, a testament to King Charles’ lifelong desire to champion causes close to his heart, especially for the environment.
"It was an honour and privilege for me to be at Highgrove House ahead of the Coronation," says Aled. "I learnt about King Charles' many passions and projects, and met Christians whose lives have been completely turned around after help from the Prince's Trust."
The show also includes commentary from personal friend to the Royal Family, Gyles Brandreth.
Charles R: The Making of a Monarch, catch up now on iPlayer
This show tells the story of King Charles III's more than seven decades as heir to the throne, using archive material drawn from newsreels, home movies, interviews and documentaries.
He reflects on his formative years from life at home with his family, his singular education, early experiences as a fledgling working royal, his time in the military and the roots of the many passions and causes that have been a feature of his time as Prince of Wales
The Windsors Coronation special, catch up on Channel4.com
The Windsors Coronation special is a comedy spoof, which sees Harry Enfield's Charles get his big moment as he's crowned King. But, things never go entirely smoothly for Charles and his villainous wife, Camilla, played by Haydn Gwynne. Plus, throw in Harry and Meghan and you have a recipe for complete Coronation carnage!
The One Show, from Monday, May 1, 6.30pm BBC One
The coronation week kicks off in style a one-hour special of The One Show.
The programme will be featuring the inspiring and creative work being carried out across the nation and individual communities to prepare for the biggest weekend of the year. Along the way, the team will hear from people whose lives have been touched by King Charles III and Queen Camilla.
On Tuesday, May 2 the winner of the recent contest launched by Dame Mary Berry to find the best sharing coronation savoury dish will be announced live. "We want to inspire viewers with lovely recipes for their Coronation big lunches," says host Alex Jones.
EastEnders, Monday, May 8 at 7.30pm on BBC One
EastEnders are marking the Kings' Coronation with a special episode of the BBC soap on Monday, May 8.
The residents of Albert Square are coming together for a right royal knees-up to celebrate the historic occasion. They'll be pomp and pageantry at the coronation-themed street party, but in Soapland things rarely go to plan, so expect the usual dose of drama!
Show bosses have teased that viewers can expect to see "the community spirit of Walford at an all-time high" as the locals deck the Square out in red, white and blue bunting.
Last summer, Kings Charles and Camilla paid a visit to the EastEnders set as part of the late Queen Elizabeth II's Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
As well as being given a guided tour of the Elstree set, the royal couple filmed a special scene with the cast of the soap.
Coronation Tailors: Fit for a King, Wednesday, May 3, 9 pm on BBC Two
In Coronation Tailors: Fit for a King, bespoke menswear designer and Sewing Bee judge Patrick Grant is given unique access to London-based uniform manufacturers, Kashket & Partners, as their staff prepare thousands of parade uniforms for King Charles's Coronation.
Patrick Grant will spend time on the factory floor with the inspiring and dynamic multi-generational Kashket family of master tailors and their workforce.
The business, along with historic Birmingham metalwork specialists Firmin & Sons have been supplying the British armed forces with uniforms for combat and ceremony since the 17th century.
Patrick will witness the meticulous levels of tailoring detail that is required for the ceremonial uniforms. And the dedicated staff have their work cut out altering hundreds of existing outfits to include the King’s new cypher, with buttons bearing the letters "CR".
