How to watch the King’s coronation in Australia: what time and who will be there
The global broadcast of King Charles III’s coronation is expected to attract hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide. For those tuning in from Australia, here is what you need to know.
On May 6, King Charles III will be crowned alongside Queen Consort Camilla at Westminster Abbey.
At age 73, Charles will be the oldest British monarch to have ascended to the throne. He has also been the longest-serving Prince of Wales, a title bestowed on him by the Queen when he was just nine years old.
Buckingham Palace has announced his coronation ceremony will feature numerous “long-standing traditions and pageantry,” and thousands of spectators are expected to gather in central London to witness the newly crowned monarch’s procession in the Gold State Coach from the abbey to Buckingham Palace. The global broadcast of the event is anticipated to attract hundreds of millions of viewers worldwide. For those tuning in from Australia, here is what you need to know.
Where and how to watch the coronation?
The Australian will be live-streaming the event as part of our coronation coverage from 5.30pm, with The Australian’s Europe Correspondent Jacquelin Magnay to provide comprehensive coverage of the event. All major television stations, including ABC, Nine, Seven, and 10, will offer coverage.
What time is the coronation?
The coronation service is scheduled to begin at 11am London time, which means it will start on Saturday night in Australia at 8pm AEST.
Who will attend?
As this is a state affair, the government has carefully curated the guest list, with only 2,000 attendees invited. Among the guests will be members of the royal family, such as Prince William, his wife Princess Kate, and their children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis. Royals from other countries, including Monaco, Japan, Sweden, Spain, and Denmark, are also expected to attend.
The Australian delegation, led by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Governor-General David Hurley, will also attend the coronation, alongside a select group of Australians. Other guests include politicians, such as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his wife Akshata Murthy, and the First Lady of the United States, Jill Biden. Additionally, a selection of British Empire Medal recipients has also been invited.
The official coronation invite was shared by Buckingham Palace in early April. The invitation, featuring artwork by Andrew Jamieson, was adorned with symbolism. The Green Man, “an ancient figure from British folklore, symbolic of spring and rebirth, to celebrate the new reign,” is depicted on the invitation. The image is surrounded by a border of plants native to Britain, and two coats of arms representing King Charles and Queen Camilla top the invitation.
Will Harry and Meghan attend?
After months of speculation as to whether the fallen-out Duke and Duchess of Sussex would travel from California to London for the coronation, Buckingham Palace confirmed in a statement that Prince Harry would attend the coronation, alone.
Meghan will remain in the United States with the couple’s children, Prince Archie, who turns 4 the day of the coronation, and Princess Lilibet, 1.
It will be the first time Prince Harry will have been seen with the royal family since releasing his bombshell memoir, Spare.
Who is performing?
The Coronation Concert will take place on May 7, the day after the coronation, at Windsor Castle. Hosted by Downtown Abbey star Hugh Bonneville, the event will feature an eclectic mix of performers including Katy Perry, Lionel Richie, Take That, Andrea Bocelli alongside the Welsh singer Sir Bryn Terfel, Paloma Faith, and Freya Ridings with Alexis Ffrench.
What will the ceremony involve?
Charles and Camilla will travel from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey in the Diamond Jubilee State Coach in a tradition known as The King’s Procession. Once inside the Abbey, Charles will be seated on Edward’s Chair, holding the sovereign’s ceptre and orb. He’ll be annointed with sacred oil, blessed and crowned with St Edward’s Crown, while Camilla will receive Queen Mary’s Crown. Then the Coronation Procession back to Buckingham Palace will begin.
Where can you catch up?
Britbox will host a full replay of King Charles III’s coronation, alongside highlights from the ceremony.
Hosting a coronation watch party?
No coronation watch party would be complete without regal fare. Thankfully, in sticking to the theme this year, you’ll be spared from the claggy coronation chicken abomination . A humble coronation quiche will mark Charles’ ascension.
King Charles and Queen Camilla have shared a “personally chosen” recipe for the baked tart, made with a mixture of spinach, broad beans and tarragon.
As for the soundtrack...
If the British Government’s Department for Culture, Media, and Sport is to believe, King Charles III is ‘Slave to the Rhythm.’ An official 27-song Coronation Celebration Playlist has been released — with cuts from Grace Jones, David Bowie, Kate Bush, and the Spice Girls.
Some royal tea: The Proclaimers hit ‘I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)’ was removed from the playlist after criticism over the band’s anti-royalist views.
What coronation merch is available?
In addition to the usual commemorative china is everything from “Coronation Flakes” cereal, to 10ct gold crown replicas, to a luxury Burberry silk scarf collaboration — here’s the best of the commemoration tat.
Coronation quiche recipe
Required:
1 X 20cm Flan Tin
Ingredients:
Pastry
125g plain flour
Pinch of salt
25g cold butter, diced
25g lard
2 tablespoons milk
Or 1 x 250g block of ready-made shortcrust pastry
Filling
125ml milk
175ml double cream
2 medium eggs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon,
Salt and pepper
100g grated cheddar cheese,
180g cooked spinach, lightly chopped
60g cooked broad beans or soya beans
Method:
Sieve the flour and salt into a bowl; add the fats and rub the mixture together using your finger tips until you get a sandy, breadcrumb-like texture. Add the milk a little at a time and bring the ingredients together into a dough. Cover and allow to rest in the fridge for 30-45 minutes.
Lightly flour the work surface and roll out the pastry to a circle a little larger than the top of the tin and approximately 5mm thick.
Line the tin with the pastry, taking care not to have any holes or the mixture could leak. Cover and rest for a further 30 minutes in the fridge.
Preheat the oven to 190°C.
Line the pastry case with greaseproof paper, add baking beans and bake blind for 15 minutes, before removing the greaseproof paper and baking beans.
Reduce the oven temperature to 160°C.
Beat together the milk, cream, eggs, herbs and seasoning.
Scatter 1/2 of the grated cheese in the blind-baked base, top with the chopped spinach and beans and herbs, then pour over the liquid mixture.
If required gently give the mixture a delicate stir to ensure the filling is evenly dispersed but be careful not to damage the pastry case.
Sprinkle over the remaining cheese. Place into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until set and lightly golden.
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