What a crazy day awaits fans of the royal family! On Saturday, King Charles III will be crowned at Westminster Abbey like all his predecessors for 900 years. Like her mother, Elizabeth II, whose coronation was broadcast live on television in 1953 (a first thanks to a new technical device called Eurovision), this historic event will be broadcast around the world, and covered by a myriad of journalists.
The French television channels will also obviously be in the front row to follow this coronation and will offer special editions from dawn. In London, or from Paris, they will multiply the speakers and duplexes to best capture this great royal moment. France Télé, TF1, BFMTV, M6… A quick overview of where to follow this historic event step by step.
TF1 and an army of guests
From 6:30 a.m., the LCI group’s news channel will immerse you in the heart of the British capital thanks to special correspondents Anne-Chloé Bottet and Christophe Beaugrand, live from the famous avenue The Mall. On the first channel, the two key presenters of the 20 Hours Anne-Claire Coudray and Gilles Bouleau will be waiting for you from 9 a.m. on set. Their mission? “To be educational and didactic, to translate a coronation ceremony to the greatest number and by learning as many things as possible”, explains to 20 minutes Antoine Guélaud, director of special operations at TF1. To do this, they will be accompanied by a plethora of specialists in the British monarchy, such as Samantha de Bendern, associate researcher at the Royal Institute of International Affairs or Philip Kyle, biographer of Charles III who worked for more than three years for the foundation of the new sovereign. Other royal biographers will join them to comment on the ceremony, such as Isabelle Rivère and Marc Roche. On site, fifteen special envoys will roam the streets of London to bring the event to life as closely as possible.
France Télévisions on the job at dawn
France 2 will also play it in the morning by devoting large sequences to the event in Telematin, then Julian Bugier will take over on set from 9:20 a.m. From Paris, he will make us live the coronation thanks to many reporters in the United Kingdom, but not only. Louise Eckland will criss-cross the streets of the capital in an electric taxi and special envoy Marianne Murat will take the temperature in Australia, a Commonwealth country. “Our mission is to provide information, precision and expertise. We are also counting on people on set who will be able to best decipher what we are going through and what it represents for the British crown, ”says Caroline Thébaud, editor-in-chief of special operations for France 2. And who better placed than our national Stéphane Bern to accompany us on this day? The specialist in crowned heads will comment on the deeds and gestures of Charles III alongside Hermine de Clermont-Tonnerre, editorial director of Point of viewor Nathalie Saint-Cricq, political columnist for France Télé.
BFMTV live from London
The objective of the news channel? “Treat this event as we treat all events, with the power of the live image, which we know how to do on a daily basis”, assures Philippe Corbé, editorial director of BFMTV. And it is from London that Jean-Baptiste Boursier will start the festivities from 9 am with a set relocated especially for the occasion. The presenter will bring us to life on this big day in the heart of the capital, surrounded by editorialists like Aurélie Casse and Thierry Arnaud, but also reporters from the channel like Ashley Chevalier (on the bridge at the first light of the sun). Specialists in royalty and experts in international politics will also provide insight.
A very British week on M6
On channel six, viewers will be able to follow the royal ceremony in the special edition of 12.45 presented by Dominique Tenza. Surrounded by a historian passionate about Great Britain and by a journalist from Madame Figaro, he will comment live on the images of the coronation. An edition that will close a very British week for the audiovisual group, which will devote daily programs to the subject: every day at 2 p.m. One day a doc on M6, or in prime time Wednesday at 9:05 p.m. in the program entitled Harry and Meghan: the big unboxing. So there will be something for everyone.