How to livestream King Charles' Coronation for free
The last time a monarch was crowned in England was 1953, so it's fair to say that a Coronation is a once in a lifetime event. With this in mind, we're sure you're making plans to watch every minute of the ceremony. Even if you're not particularly interested in the royal family or even the idea of a monarchy, you just know that it's all anyone is going to be talking about this weekend. Watch the Coronation or be left out of the conversation? You decide.
To help you prepare for a weekend of pageantry, we've lined up all the information you need.
When is the Coronation?
The Coronation will take place on May 6. The ceremony officially starts at 11 a.m. BST (6 a.m. ET) and will last for around two hours. The ceremony will be held at Westminster Abbey and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. Camilla will also be crowned Queen, so it's not all about Charles.
Where can you watch the Coronation?
You can follow events with ease in the UK, as the Coronation will be broadcast from every direction. You'll actually struggle to not see what's going on, with channels across the BBC network broadcasting live from the ceremony, as well as ITV and Sky News providing extensive coverage.
You can watch coverage of the Coronation on BBC One, BBC Two, and BBC iPlayer from 7.30 a.m. BST on May 6, or stay in bed a little longer and pick things up at 8.30 a.m. BST on ITV1 and ITVX.
In the U.S., the Coronation will be broadcast on several channels including ABC News, CBS, CNN, Fox News, and NBC. If you don’t have cable, you can watch the Coronation online through Paramount+, fuboTV, Sling, or Hulu + Live TV. These online services are not free, but most do offer free trials. This might be the best time to cash in on these trials.
If you're in the U.S. but want to experience coverage from the UK, you can livestream the Coronation on BBC iPlayer or ITVX with a little help from a VPN.
Can you livestream the Coronation for free?
Connecting to BBC iPlayer or ITVX to watch the Coronation is straightforward from the UK. Simply visit the sites and log in to watch the ceremony. It's that easy.
If you attempt to connect to BBC iPlayer or ITVX from anywhere else in the world, you'll be quickly blocked by the services. The only way to get around these blockades is with a streaming-friendly VPN. You can use a VPN to hide your real IP address and connect to a secure server in the UK. This process is quick and easy, and tricks sites like BBC iPlayer and ITVX into thinking you are based in the UK:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK
Visit BBC iPlayer or ITVX
Watch the Coronation from anywhere in the world
Something to note is that the best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees. By using these guarantees, you can watch Coronation livestreams without fully committing with your cash.
What is the best VPN for the Coronation?
ExpressVPN is a top choice for streaming due to its impressive connection speeds, powerful levels of encryption, apps for all operating systems, five multi-logins, and helpful customer support. It also has a robust privacy policy, which is important for data protection.
A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for £82.03 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This heavily discounted plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can sign up to watch the World Snooker Championship and then recover your investment with the money-back guarantee.
Livestream King Charles' big day for free with ExpressVPN.