How to watch King Charles III's coronation right now for free online

King Charles III waves from The Buckingham Palace balcony during the Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla on May 06, 2023 in London, England. The Coronation of Charles III and his wife, Camilla, as King and Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the other Commonwealth realms takes place at Westminster Abbey today. Charles acceded to the throne on 8 September 2022, upon the death of his mother, Elizabeth II.
(Image credit: Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

And now we watch King Charles III's coronation online, as it concludes with the coronation proper. The British monarch and wife, Queen Consort Camilla, are officially crowned in a ceremony at Westminster Abbey today. The proceedings are under way as we speak, so make sure you know how to watch right now

Coronation streaming details

Date: Today (Saturday, May 6)
Start time: 6 a.m. ET / 3 a.m. PT / 11 a.m. BST / 8 p.m. AEDT
Coronation time: 11 a.m. ET / 8 a.m. PT / 5 p.m. BST / 1 a.m. AEDT
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Crowds camped overnight outside Buckingham Palace ready for the proceedings but, unfortunately, the weather doesn't seem to have turned up. Forecasts for the day are bleak, with heavy rain predicted to dampen much of the proceedings. Drops have already started falling from an overcast London sky with the worst of the downpour expected to start around midday. The day's temperature will hit a high of 17C (62.6F).

Upon the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II, in September, King Charles III immediately acceded to the throne. Today, he has been crowned as monarch of the United Kingdom and 14 other Commonwealth realms. Alongside him, wife Camilla will be proclaimed Queen Consort.

In times past, the coronation has been a formal, religious, highly traditional ceremony. And, while King Charles III's coronation will retain elements like the anointing, other parts have been stripped back or eliminated. Buckingham Palace said, "The Coronation will reflect the monarch's role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry."

A number of royals will be present as guests, including the king's sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, and a range of foreign dignitaries. William's son, Prince George, the third in line to the throne, will serve as a pageboy for his grandfather during the coronation.

Despite the bad weather, today's ceremony will be followed by a procession back to Buckingham Palace in the Gold State Coach. From there, crowds will be treated to a balcony greeting and a concert celebration featuring Take That, Katy Perry, Lionel Richie and Andrea Bocelli.

Here are all the details you need to watch King Charles III's coronation online and for free today. 

How to watch King Charles III coronation for free today

Many outlets are live-streaming the coronation in their free TV offerings on their websites and apps, including Sling, Fubo and others. 

Pluto TV, for example, is offering free feeds of NBC News and CBS News for the event.

  • The New York Times
  • ABC News Live
  • Today on NBC
  • NBC News
  • USA Today
  • CNN
  • Paramount Plus
  • DirecTV
  • Hulu With Live TV
  • Sky News YouTube channel
  • BBC
  • Britbox by BBC and iTV

The aforementioned broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, NBC) can also be watched for free with one of the best TV antennas.

How to watch King Charles III coronation live stream from anywhere on Earth with a VPN

Just because King Charles III's coronation isn't airing on TV everywhere doesn't mean you need to miss it if you're away from home. Watching along with the rest of the internet can be pretty easy. With the right VPN (virtual private network), you can stream the show from wherever you go.

Not sure which VPN is right for you? We've tested many different services and our pick for the best VPN overall is ExpressVPN. It offers superb speeds and excellent customer service. But you've got other VPN options as well. Here are our top picks.

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How to watch the King Charles III coronation in the US

In the U.S., coverage of King Charles III's coronation began at 5 a.m. ET, an hour before proceedings in London got underway. It is airing live on a number of major broadcast and cable networks, including ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN and Fox News. 

If you've already cut the cord and don't have cable, you can watch these channels on a cable TV alternative streaming service, such as our favorites Sling and Fubo

Sling offers CNN in all of its tiers, and the other noted networks are in Sling Blue, though ABC is only available for select Sling Blue subscribers. Fubo offers all of the above.

Those channels are also available on YouTube TV, Hulu with Live TV and DirecTV Stream.

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Fubo.TV is a great alternative to a cable package. With the Pro Plan ($75 per month), you get over 120 channels, including all the local broadcast networks and top cable brands. There's a 7-day free trial.

How to watch the King Charles III coronation in the UK

Since King Charles III is the monarch of the United Kingdom, it's no surprise that every television channel and media outlet in the country is airing and streaming the coronation. 

With a Sky TV package, Brits can watch the King and Queen crowned in Ultra HD for free on Sky News channel 501 and on Sky Showcase channel 106. Sky is also streaming the coronation on their website, app and YouTube channel. 

The coronation will also air for free on BBC One, BBC One HD, BBC Two and BBC iPlayer, as well as ITV.

How to watch the King Charles III coronation in Canada

In Canada, King Charles III's coronation will air for free on CTV News Channel and CTVNews.ca, along with the CTV and CTV News apps.

How to watch the King Charles III coronation in Australia

Aussies can watch King Charles and Queen Camilla crowned on ABC, Sky News and Channel Seven. 

King Charles III coronation schedule

Here is the schedule of today's events for King Charles III's coronation. All times local time (BST). 

6 a.m. - Coronation viewing areas opened along the main procession route.

9 a.m. - The congregation is seated inside Westminster Abbey.

9:30 a.m. - Coronation guests, including the royal family, heads of state and former prime ministers arrive.

9:45 a.m. -The Sovereign's Escort of the Household Cavalry prepares to assemble for the King's Procession from Buckingham Palace.

10:20 a.m. - The King and Queen travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach.

11 a.m. - The coronation itself begins. 

How to watch the Coronation Concert

After the above is over, at 8 p.m. BST / 3 p.m. ET / 12 p.m. PT (and 6 a.m. AEDT on Sunday), the Coronation concert broadcasts from Windsor Castle. It will be on BBC One (and BBC One HD) and BBC iPlayer as well as BBC Radio 2 and BBC Sounds.

Hugh Bonneville will host, and musicians Take That, Lionel Richie, Katy Perry and Andrea Bocelli will perform.

Outside of the U.S. you will be able to find it on BBC News and BBC World Service.

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Kelly Woo
Streaming Editor

Kelly is the streaming channel editor for Tom’s Guide, so basically, she watches TV for a living. Previously, she was a freelance entertainment writer for Yahoo, Vulture, TV Guide and other outlets. When she’s not watching TV and movies for work, she’s watching them for fun, seeing live music, writing songs, knitting and gardening.

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