The coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla in London, United Kingdom, was watched by nearly nine million average viewers on Saturday. This figure includes all the channels that aired the event between roughly 12 p.m. and 2 p.m., according to Médiamétrie’s data. The audience share for this event was 70.6% between 11:52 a.m. and 1:44 p.m. on channels such as TF1, France 2, M 6 and news channels like BFMTV, CNews, LCI, Franceinfo, which aired the first such coronation in 70 years at Westminster Abbey.
To provide a more detailed breakdown, France 2’s special edition was the most viewed. It drew almost 3.7 million average viewers between 11:50 a.m. and 3:50 p.m. for a 30.2% audience share. Following closely, TF1 attracted over 3.5 million viewers (27.5% audience share) between 11:50 a.m. and 2 p.m., and 2.8 million (24.2% audience share) between 2 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.
For comparison’s sake, Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral was watched by an average 7.5 million viewers (66.7% audience share) on all French broadcasting channels on Monday, September 19, 2022, between approximately 12 p.m. and 1 p.m., slightly more than her husband Prince Philip’s funeral which drew 7 million viewers on April 17, 2021.
Prince William and Kate Middleton’s wedding on April 29, 2011, was followed by an average 9 million viewers in France between 9:25 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. on TF1, France 2, BFMTV and CNews. Prince Harry’s wedding to American actress Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018, drew around 8 million viewers.
Historically, Lady Diana’s funeral on September 6, 1997, was watched by an average of 10.1 million viewers between 8:50 a.m. and 1:20 p.m., exclusively on TF1 and France 2.
The most-watched event of this kind in France remains the funeral of Johnny Hallyday on December 9, 2017, which attracted an average of 11.6 million viewers (76.1% audience share) between 9:40 a.m. and 3:25 p.m. on TF1, France 2, BFMTV, CNews, Franceinfo and LCI.
Back in 1953, Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation was broadcast on French television, at a time when only 59,971 televisions existed in France. Curious onlookers congregated in the streets or at the homes of neighbors who had televisions to watch this event, the first of its magnitude to be broadcast live internationally.
