King Charles III’s coronation will see the country unite in celebration on May 6 as the monarch is officially crowned.
Being the first coronation in 70 years, a lot has changed technology-wise, so it’s no surprise that the way people tune in to watch has also changed.
This is likely the first coronation that this many people have access to on multiple platforms including online streaming, social media, radio and the humble cable TV.
In comparison, Queen Elizabeth’s coronation was the first ever to be televised and for many people was the first major event they had ever watched on TV.
Over 20million people watched the service at home on TV while a further 11million people are said to have listened to the coverage on the radio.
It’s not yet known how many people will watch King Charles’ coronation but it’s expected to attract millions around the world tuning in. Here’s how technology has changed in time for this coronation:
Choices in broadcasters
In 1953, you could only watch Queen Elizabeth’s coronation on the BBC as there was no other choice. ITV did not launch until 1955, and Sky News was a lot further off, taking to the airwaves in 1989.
BBC had a team of over 20 cameras and nearly 200 technicians and support staff working on the broadcast.
This time around, viewers will have a choice of channels to watch it on – with the BBC, ITV and Sky News all showing live coverage of the event, while it will also be available to watch later on BBC iPlayer.
High-definition televisions
The first high-definition television (HDTV) broadcasts began in the 1980s, and since then, HDTV technology has improved dramatically.
Coronation of King Charles III latest
The historic Coronation of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla will take place in Westminster Abbey on Saturday, May 6, 2023.
For all the latest royal updates, visit Metro.co.uk’s dedicated coronation page.
The coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953 was broadcast in black and white.
In contrast, the most recent royal wedding, that of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in 2018, was broadcast in high-definition colour. The same will apply to King Charles’ coronation.
Live streaming
The ability to stream live video over the internet has greatly expanded the reach of broadcasting since the 50s. The coronation will be live streamed on multiple platforms like the BBC iPlayer, ITV, BritBox etc.
It will also be the first state broadcast on upgraded public 5G network.
In a first for any coronation, Saturday’s event will also be streamed on YouTube, which was obviously not around at the last one.
For example, Sky News’ YouTube channel will stream the event alongside their app and website.
Many international outlets will also be live streaming the coronation like CNN, The York Times etc.
Virtual and augmented reality
It seems no technology has been spared in preparation for the King’s coronation including Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR).
British broadcaster Sky News has announced an immersive AR experience that will allow viewers to interact with two digital twins of the coronation crowns in their homes.
Comparing this coronation to the last shows how far technology has come in the past few decades. By the time we have another coronation, we will no doubt see a massive shift in how the future generation tunes in.
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