Harry-Meghan Wedding: Tv Viewing Guide

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a highly anticipated event, with extensive media coverage and a global audience. The ceremony took place on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, United Kingdom. For those who wanted to watch the royal wedding on TV, there were several options available. Major networks such as ABC, CBS, FOX, NBC, and BBC provided live coverage of the event, with special editions of popular shows like Good Morning America and CBS This Morning. Streaming services like Netflix and HBO also offered live streaming or simulcasts, ensuring that viewers worldwide could witness the historic occasion. The wedding was not only a celebration of the union between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle but also a significant moment in the British royal family's history, with Meghan becoming one of the first biracial members.

Where to watch the wedding on TV

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was broadcast on several channels in the US and UK. In the US, coverage aired on ABC, FOX, NBC, CBS, PBS, E!, BBC America, TLC, HBO, and CNN. In the UK, the wedding was shown on BBC One, ITV, Sky News, and E!

ABC's coverage began with a special edition of Good Morning America from 5 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, with GMA co-anchor Robin Roberts and World News Tonight's David Muir leading the live coverage from Windsor. CBS's coverage was anchored by Gayle King and Kevin Frazier, and began at 4 a.m. ET. NBC's coverage was co-anchored by Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb, and began at 4:30 a.m. ET. Fox News Channel's coverage was co-anchored by Shepard Smith and Sandra Smith, and began at 6 a.m. ET.

BBC America simulcast BBC One's four hours of live coverage before, during, and after the event, beginning at 4 a.m. ET. BBC World News also live-streamed the event on BBC.com, beginning at 5 a.m. ET.

Viewing figures

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a highly anticipated event that attracted a significant number of viewers worldwide. The ceremony took place on Saturday, May 19, 2018, at St. George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, United Kingdom. Let's take a closer look at the viewing figures for this royal wedding:

United Kingdom Viewing Figures:

In the United Kingdom, the BBC emerged as the winner in the ratings battle for the royal wedding. The BBC's coverage attracted an average of 8.7 million viewers, with a peak of 13.1 million people tuning in at 1 pm to watch the newlyweds leave St. George's Chapel and take their first tour of Windsor. The BBC's coverage accounted for a 64% share of the total viewing audience.

ITV, the main competitor to the BBC, had lower viewing figures, with an average of 2.5 million viewers and a peak of 3.6 million. Combined with the BBC's figures, the average viewing audience across both channels was 11 million. Additionally, approximately 500,000 additional viewers tuned in to Sky News and Sky1 for their royal wedding coverage.

United States Viewing Figures:

In the United States, the royal wedding attracted a substantial audience as well. Nielsen reported that 29 million Americans tuned into the 15 channels that aired the wedding. NBC averaged 6.4 million viewers, followed by ABC with 6.3 million, CBS with 4.8 million, Fox News with 1.9 million, CNN with 1.8 million, and MSNBC with 1 million. The total viewing figures for the US audience were expected to rise as the final numbers were still being calculated.

Global Viewing Figures:

The royal wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle captivated audiences worldwide. While exact global viewing figures are not available, it was estimated that the global audience was in the hundreds of millions. The wedding was broadcast on various channels and streamed live online, making it accessible to a wide range of viewers internationally.

Comparison to Prince William and Kate Middleton's Wedding:

It is worth noting that the viewing figures for Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's wedding differed from those of Prince William and Kate Middleton's nuptials in 2011. In the UK, about 18 million people watched Harry and Meghan's wedding, compared to 24 million who tuned in for William and Kate's big day. However, in the US, Meghan and Harry's wedding attracted a larger audience, with 29 million viewers compared to 23 million for William and Kate.

How to watch online

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was broadcast on several channels, including ABC, CBS, Fox News, NBC, BBC America, HBO, and E! ABC's coverage was simulcast on Freeform and ABC News digital platforms. CBS's coverage was streamed on CBSN, the network's 24/7 streaming news network. NBC's coverage was simulcast on the BBC. BBC America's coverage was simulcast on BBC One. E!'s coverage was simulcast on E! UK.

The wedding was also streamed online on YouTube via the British Monarchy's official The Royal Channel. Reuters TV offered free streaming of the wedding at https://www.reuters.tv/live, as well as on iOS and Android apps, Roku, Fire TV, and Apple TV.

Live coverage details

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle took place on Saturday, 19 May 2018, at St George's Chapel, Windsor. The ceremony began at 12:00 midday BST.

In the UK, the wedding was shown on BBC One, ITV, Sky News, CNN and E! and was also streamed live online on YouTube via the British Monarchy's official The Royal Channel.

ABC News began coverage with a special edition of Good Morning America from 5-10am ET, co-anchored by Robin Roberts and David Muir, who led the live coverage from Windsor. CBS News' live multiplatform coverage from London was co-anchored by Gayle King and Kevin Frazier, who were joined by royal contributor Tina Brown. Fox News Channel's coverage was co-anchored by Shepard Smith and Sandra Smith, with Ainsley Earhardt co-hosting Fox & Friends Weekend live from Windsor. NBC's Today at the Royal Wedding was co-anchored by Savannah Guthrie and Hoda Kotb near Windsor Castle. BBC America simulcast BBC One's four hours of live coverage before, during and after the event, beginning at 4am ET.

CBSN, CBS News' 24/7 streaming news network, streamed the network's coverage of the ceremony and festivities beginning at 4am ET, with interviews and analysis following the event. BBC World News live-streamed the event beginning at 5am ET on BBC.com. E! Live From the Royal Wedding featured Giuliana Rancic, Brad Goreski, Melanie Bromley and Sarah-Jane Crawford. TLC's coverage began with Royal Wedding Live, a live four-hour feed of the nuptials at 5am ET/2am PT, followed by TLC's Royal Wedding Revealed, a one-hour special hosted by Shaun Robinson at 10pm. HBO and Funny or Die aired The Royal Wedding Live with Cord and Tish!, hosted by Cord Hosenbeck and Tish Cattigan, played by Will Ferrell and Molly Shannon. Reuters TV offered free streaming of the wedding at https://www.reuters.tv/live, as well as on iOS and Android apps, Roku, Fire TV and Apple TV.

Highlights and best moments

The wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle was a star-studded event, with a host of celebrities in attendance. The ceremony was held at St George's Chapel in Windsor Castle, with the bride and groom arriving at 11:52 am. The couple exchanged vows in a traditional Anglican service, with the inclusion of African-American culture.

The ceremony was officiated by Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, who also baptised Meghan into the Church of England earlier that year. The Dean of Windsor, David Conner, conducted the service, with a sermon delivered by Michael Curry, the first black presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. Music was provided by two choirs, an orchestra, and the chapel organ. The ceremony also featured a gospel choir, in tribute to Meghan's mixed-race heritage.

The bride wore a dress designed by British designer Clare Waight Keller for Givenchy, with a 16-foot silk veil embroidered with flowers representing the 53 countries of the Commonwealth, along with two types of flowers representing the couple's residence and Meghan's home state of California. Her hair was styled by Serge Normant, with makeup by Dior artist Daniel Martin. Meghan's bouquet, designed by Philippa Craddock, included forget-me-nots, chosen by Harry in honour of his late mother, Princess Diana.

The groom and his brother, best man Prince William, wore the frock coat uniform of the Blues and Royals, with Harry's uniform adorned with the star of the Royal Victorian Order and several medals. Harry notably kept his beard, which was only permitted under exceptional circumstances in the British Army.

The ceremony was followed by a carriage procession through Windsor, and two receptions hosted by the Queen and Prince Charles. The first reception included a speech by Prince Harry and a performance by Elton John. The couple shared their first dance at the second reception, held at Frogmore House, with music provided by DJ Idris Elba.

Frequently asked questions