CHANNEL 4 ANNOUNCES PROGRAMMING AND PLANS FOR KING'S CORONATION

As the nation prepares for the coronation of His Majesty The King and Her Majesty The Queen Consort next month, Channel 4 is set to mark the occasion in an altogether different way.

Frankie Boyle’s Farewell to the Monarchy airs in the build up to the coronation, providing a different perspective on the history of the royal family and its modern-day goings on, as the comedian asks whether the royal family has a place in today’s world.

Or, as he puts it: “Increasingly, the British monarchy appear like animals in a zoo that’s fallen on hard times – fidgety, balding, pacing up and down their marble cage, pausing only to chew their own tail off or commit a sex crime out of boredom.”

A coronation special of The Windsors sees Harry Enfield reprise his role as the soon-to-be-King Charles who is preparing for the UK’s first coronation in 70 years. But whilst the new King is keen for his coronation to be a grand affair, sadly, the UK is in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and Wills thinks the event should reflect these more straitened times. Is Charles willing to kick start his reign with a cut price coronation?

In Andrew - The Problem Prince (w/t), Emily Maitlis speaks in detail about the interview that shook the monarchy and the world in November 2019. This brand-new two-part documentary series uses rare archive footage, interviews with BBC producer Sam McAlister and exclusive access to palace insiders, to uncover the inside story of Prince Andrew's disastrous Newsnight interview and unravel the scandal that led to his spectacular fall from grace.

On the day of the coronation itself, Saturday 6th May, Channel 4 will have an alternative schedule (to be confirmed) that will provide an escape from the pomp and ceremony elsewhere.

Channel 4’s Chief Content Officer, Ian Katz, comments: “Channel 4 exists to provide viewers with an alternative, so as the nation is engulfed by pomp, circumstance and forelock-tugging, we’ll be offering a rather less reverential slate of programmes including Frankie Boyle’s case against the monarchy and the Windsors’ scabrous satirical take on the Coronation.”

There will also be another chance to watch Prince Andrew: The Musical.