The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Consort Camilla is just around the corner (Saturday, May 6) but, while the likes of the BBC, ITV and Sky will broadcast it live on their channels, Channel 4 is doing its own thing.
With a line-up of "different' royal programming for those who don't fancy watching the Coronation itself, Channel 4 says it will be marking the occasion "in an altogether different way". Featured on the schedule is Frankie Boyle, Harry Enfield and even some insight into the life of Prince Andrew.
There will also be another chance to watch 'Prince Andrew: The Musical' - an "all-singing, all-dancing satirical biopic charting the rise and fall of Prince Andrew". Channel 4 says that, on the day of the Coronation itself, it 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, says: "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.”
The line-up of shows on Channel 4 during the Coronation so far
Frankie Boyle's Farewell to the Monarchy
The synopsis for this show reads: "To mark the beginning of a new chapter in the British monarchy, comedian Frankie Boyle takes a wry, if typically spiky, look at the state of the Royal family and its future by looking back at its 1,000-year history. As he focuses on the behaviour of royals past – violent, ruthless, land grabbing, child murdering, wife-beheading, slave trading, misogynist and empire-building – he wonders how these qualities have shaped our royal family today.
"Frankie’s long been fascinated by the strange and unique institution that is the British royal family, especially how it has survived so long. It may be the most famous monarchy in the world, but with the Coronation of King Charles looming, he wants to know should it, and will it, continue?"
The Windsors Coronation Special
The synopsis for this show reads: "The Windsors are back and they’re more deluded and dysfunctional than ever before! Plus, one of them is being crowned King.
"Charles’ (Harry Enfield) whole life has been building up to this moment and he wants the UK’s first coronation in seventy years to be a spectacular affair, as does his Queen Consort Camilla (Haydn Gwynne). Sadly, the UK is in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis and Wills (Hugh Skinner) thinks the coronation should reflect these more straitened times.
"As for Harry (Richard Goulding) and Meghan (Kathryn Drysdale) they’re finally free of Windsors’ family issues to concentrate on their simple life in California. But can they really afford to miss Harry’s father’s coronation?
"The Windsors Coronation Special also stars Kate Middleton (Louise Ford), Pippa Middleton (Morgana Robinson), Princess Beatrice (Ellie White), Princess Eugenie (Celeste Dring), Princess Anne (Vicki Pepperdine) and Prince Edward (Matthew Cottle). And introducing Sophie Wessex (Anna Morris)."
Andrew - The Problem Prince
The synopsis for this two-part series reads: "The series features the twists and turns of palace intrigue, secret conversations and the Queen's involvement, told through the lens of the infamous BBC Newsnight interview that shook the monarchy to its core in November 2019. With exclusive interviews and unprecedented access, the series provides a unique perspective on the prince's life, offering an in-depth look at the chain of events that led to his downfall.
"The documentary features interviews with renowned journalist Emily Maitlis, who gives a first-hand account of the nerve-racking preparations and the interview that forever changed Prince Andrew's life. The series also features Sam McAlister, the BBC Newsnight producer who spent over a year negotiating the interview with the Palace and securing the scoop of a lifetime.
"Using rare archive footage, as well as exclusive interviews with palace insiders and those who know Prince Andrew best, Andrew - The Problem Prince unravels the web of scandal that led to his spectacular fall from grace. The series examines his ill-fated relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, which ultimately led to the Newsnight interview.
"Structured around the interview, the series explores his early years as the "enfant terrible" of the Royal Family to his heroic status as a Falklands war hero, his dubious business connections and descent into infamy."
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