Queen’s funeral could see one of the largest TV audiences for decades, say experts
The funeral of Queen Elizabeth II is likely to attract one of the largest UK television audiences of recent decades.
The funeral service for Diana, Princess of Wales on 6 September 1997, was watched by an average of 32.1 million people, including 11.7 million on ITV and 19.3 million on BBC One.
No royal event since then has come close to matching such huge ratings.
The wedding of then Prince William and Kate Middleton in 2011 attracted an average audience of 4.0 million on ITV and 13.6 million on BBC One.
Comparable figures begin in August 1981, meaning there is no accurate or reliable data for earlier events.
For example, the BBC said the state funeral in January 1965 of former prime minister Sir Winston Churchill was watched by 20 million people on its own network and five million on ITV, but this was based on the BBC’s own audience research and was not independently verified.
A combined UK TV audience of over 20 million is likely for the Queen’s funeral on Monday, based on ratings for similarly high-profile recent occasions.
The opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Olympic Games both topped the 20 million mark, as did the final of the Euro 2020 football championship in 2021, and the announcement by former prime minister Boris Johnson of the first Covid-19 lockdown.
The Queen’s televised address during the Covid lockdown on April 5, 2020, in which she echoed Dame Vera Lynn’s wartime song and told the nation “we will meet again”, was watched by 24.3 million across seven channels.
All figures are consolidated ratings, meaning they include people who recorded and watched a broadcast up to seven days later – the industry standard for measuring TV audiences.
Coverage of the Queen’s funeral will be on a vastly larger scale than that organised for her father, King George VI.
The King’s funeral in February 1952 took place at St George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle and was not televised, though the BBC had cameras outside to record pictures for a newsreel transmitted that evening.
The full funeral service, along with the King’s journey from Westminster Hall where he had been lying in state, was described to listeners of BBC radio.
The Queen’s funeral is taking place at Westminster Abbey and is due to begin at 11am on Monday.
ITV’s coverage of the days events will start at 9.30am.