Failing to be massed at Piccadilly Circus, in front of Buckingham Palace or at the gates of Westminster, 14 million Britons were gathered in front of their television sets to attend the coronation of King Charles III. Yet not concerned, the French were not left out, with nearly 9 million viewers on average on all the channels which broadcast it between noon and around 2 p.m., according to data from Médiamétrie on Sunday.
This corresponds to an audience share of 70.6% between 11:52 a.m. and 1:44 p.m. on TF1, France 2, M6 and the news channels (BFMTV, CNews, LCI, Franceinfo) which broadcast this unprecedented coronation for seventy years at Westminster Abbey. In detail, the special edition of France 2 was the most followed. It brought together nearly 3.7 million people on average between 11:50 a.m. and 3:50 p.m. for an audience share (PDA) of 30.2%. That of TF1 captured more than 3.5 million viewers (27.5% PDA) between 11:50 a.m. and 2 p.m. and 2.8 million (24.2% PDA) between 2 p.m. and 3:45 p.m.
The funeral of Hallyday and Lady Di in mind
By way of comparison, the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II brought together an average of 7.5 million viewers (66.7% of PDA) on Monday September 19, 2022 between noon and around 1 p.m. on all French channels broadcasting it. , a little more than those of her husband Prince Philip (seven million on April 17, 2021). The wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton on April 29, 2011 was watched by an average of 9 million French viewers between 9:25 a.m. and 2:45 p.m. on TF1, France 2, BFM TV and CNews. And that of Prince Harry and American actress Meghan Markle, May 19, 2018, by some 8 million viewers.
Still with regard to the British royal family, the funeral of Lady Diana, on September 6, 1997, had been watched by 10.1 million viewers on average between 8:50 a.m. and 1:20 p.m., and only on TF1 and France 2, the news channels n does not yet exist. The record in France for this type of event remains the funeral of Johnny Hallyday, on December 9, 2017: they had 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, BFM TV, CNews, Franceinfo and LCI.
In 1953, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was broadcast on French television, when France had only 59,971 TV receivers. The curious had gathered in the streets or at their neighbors equipped to follow this event, the first of this scale to be broadcast live internationally.