How to watch the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in the US
Written by ABC Audio All Rights Reserved on May 5, 2023
(NEW YORK) — The invitations have been sent and rehearsals have been done for the coronation of King Charles III and his wife Queen Camilla.
Even without an invitation, and even if you’re not in the United Kingdom, you can still get an up-close view of the coronation, an event that last happened 70 years ago when Charles’ mother, the late Queen Elizabeth II, was crowned.
Charles and Camilla’s coronation will take place Saturday, May 6, at Westminster Abbey in London.
Cameras are allowed inside Westminster Abbey, so all of us at home will get a chance to see the biggest moments of the day, from the coronation service to a procession through London and Charles’ first wave as king from the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Home viewers can also catch a glimpse of the special guests attending the coronation — including first lady Jill Biden — and all the best fashion.
How to watch the coronation in the US
ABC News and Good Morning America will have special TV coverage of the coronation on Saturday, May 6, from 5 to 10 a.m. ET.
The five hours of special coverage will also be available to stream on ABC News’ digital platforms, including ABCNews.com and GoodMorningAmerica.com, mobile apps, social platforms and over-the-top (OTT) services.
ABC News’ digital platforms will also re-air the coronation service throughout the day on May 6.
See the coronation day schedule below and get ready to watch history!
Coronation schedule of events
Buckingham Palace has yet to confirm timings for Charles’ coronation day so the below timings are estimated and scheduled to change.
Approximately 5:30 a.m. ET: Charles and Camilla depart Buckingham Palace and travel to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach, which was created for Elizabeth in 2012. The procession will take Charles and Camilla down The Mall and around the east and south sides of Parliament Square to Broad Sanctuary and, finally, to the sanctuary of Westminster Abbey.
6 a.m. ET: The May 6 coronation service will begin at 11 a.m. local time, 6 a.m. ET, and is expected to last around 90 minutes. During the ceremony, Charles will sign an oath pledging to serve the people and will be crowned with the St. Edward’s Crown, marking the only time the king will ever wear that specific crown. Camilla will be crowned with the Queen Mary’s Crown. At the end of the service, Charles will exchange his crown for the Imperial State Crown, or Crown of State.
Approximately 7:30 a.m. ET: Charles and Camilla will depart Westminster Abbey in a procession back to Buckingham Palace. This procession, known as the Coronation Procession, will follow the same route as they took earlier in the day, but will be larger in scale and will include Armed Forces from the U.K. and across the Commonwealth.
Charles and Camilla will travel in this procession in the Gold State Coach, which has been used in every coronation since 1831. The coach was last used at the Platinum Jubilee for Elizabeth in 2022.
Approximately 8 a.m. ET: At the end of the procession, Charles and Camilla will receive a royal salute and three cheers from members of the Armed Forces. They will then appear on the balcony of Buckingham Palace, where they will give their first balcony waves to the public as king and queen.
The rest of the coronation weekend — which includes a bank holiday in the U.K. on Monday, May 8 — will include celebrations across the country.
Buckingham Palace is encouraging people to host Coronation Big Lunches to celebrate together throughout the weekend.
On Sunday night, a coronation concert featuring Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Andrea Bocelli and others will be held on the grounds of Windsor Castle.
On Monday, the palace is encouraging people to volunteer in their communities.
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