King Charles’ coronation: How many Kiwis tuned in to watch Charles get his crown?

Countless royal fans watched on as the new King Charles III and Queen Camilla were crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday May 6.

In the days leading up to the historic moment, the streets of London were packed with onlookers hoping for a glimpse of the monarch on the day of his coronation. But just how many people tuned in to witness the ceremony from afar?

The BBC has revealed that in the UK, over 14 million people watched the outlet’s coverage of the event.

👑 On @BBCOne, The Coronation of TM King Charles III and Queen Camilla was watched by a peak of 13.4 million and an average audience of 11.9 million.

👑 On @BBCTwo, a peak of 1.7 million and average of 1.4 million watched signed coverage of the day's events. pic.twitter.com/nY8LB3Nb7q

— BBC Press Office (@bbcpress) May 7, 2023

In a statement, the broadcaster’s chief content officer Charlotte Moore said, “I’m proud of the unique and special role the BBC plays in delivering audiences moments of such huge historical significance.”

According to audience measurement firm Barb, the average audience for the Westminster Abbey service was 18.8 million across 11 channels and platforms in the UK.

“Reach was 22.4m, a share of 89%. Viewing peaked at 20.4m at 12:02 as the King was crowned,” a statement on the firm’s Twitter page read.

Britain's King Charles III and Queen Camilla wave from the balcony of Buckingham Palace after their coronation. Photo / AP

But just how many New Zealanders stayed up to watch the ceremony?

TVNZ has revealed that 1.2 million Kiwis tuned in to watch their coverage of the occasion, drawing an average audience of 362,000, according to Nielsen - the biggest viewership on a Saturday the broadcaster has seen for a year.

Meanwhile, rival Three told the Herald 593,000 Kiwis in the 5 and over age range tuned in to watch their coverage of the coronation.

It was predicted that 300 million people worldwide would tune in to watch the coronation.

However, the number of viewers watching Charles get his crown trailed behind those who watched the late Queen Elizabeth’s coronation in 1953. It’s estimated 27 million Brits watched the ceremony, which marked the first time a royal coronation had been broadcast.

It was reported that 31 million people in the UK watched the Queen’s funeral in September last year, with around 2.5 billion tuning in to watch from all over the world.

Elsewhere, the royal weddings of the Queen’s grandchildren attracted slightly smaller audiences. When Prince William married Kate Middleton in Westminster Abbey in 2011, 26.3 million Brits watched on, while just 18 million of them watched Prince Harry’s wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018.