The most-watched royal events in TV history: From the coronation to Harry and Meghan's interview
Watch: The most-watched royal TV moments ever
Crowds may be banned from paying their respects in person at Prince Philip's funeral under current coronavirus restrictions, but scores of viewers are expected to tune in to the TV coverage.
Royal events – whether they're funerals, weddings, or tell-all interviews – are always guaranteed to be a ratings hit, as key moments through the generations have shown.
Read more: The 30 guests confirmed to be attending Prince Philip's funeral
Take a look back at some of the most-watched royal events in the UK as the nation sat down to see a slice of history unfolding.
Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, 1953
The Queen made TV history by becoming the first British monarch to have her coronation televised.
She was just 25 when she succeeded her father, King George VI, and 27 million people tuned in to watch the historic ceremony.
Princess Anne and Mark Phillips' Wedding, 1973
When the Queen's only daughter got married, it was cause for huge celebration for the country (although a 25-year-old Prince Charles had to share his birthday with his sister's big day).
The horse-loving couple's wedding was very popular and although other royal broadcasts have had higher overall viewing figures, with 27.6 million tuning in it was the most watched programme on a single channel of all time.
Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer's Wedding, 1981
Think of a royal wedding, and most of us will picture Charles and Diana's extravagant St Paul's Cathedral ceremony.
Billed as the "wedding of the century", it was celebrated with street parties across the UK and 28.4 million watched on TV, but the couple eventually separated in 1992 and divorced in 1996 after 15 years of marriage.
Prince William and Kate Middleton's Wedding, 2011
It had been ages since we'd celebrated a major royal wedding before William and Kate's happy day, which sparked serious wedding fever.
Across 10 different channels broadcasting the wedding, there were 26 million viewers watching their vows at Westminster Abbey, bridesmaid Pippa Middleton's famous entrance, and the kiss on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Wedding, 2018
Given recent events, it's hard to believe that it was just a few years ago when Harry and Meghan featured in a huge royal event.
Their Windsor Castle ceremony was watched by 18 million people, although Meghan has now claimed the 'real' wedding took place in their garden three days earlier — something the Archbishop of Canterbury has flatly denied.
Prince Andrew and Sarah Ferguson's Wedding, 1986
Like Charles and Diana, the marriage didn't have a happy future, but the viewing public thoroughly enjoyed Prince Andrew's wedding to Fergie with 19 million viewers.
However, the celebratory atmosphere was short-lived as they separated in 1992 and were divorced in 1996.
Princess Diana's funeral, 1997
The nation was in mourning in 1997 when the much-loved Princess Diana died in a car crash in Paris while being pursued by paparazzi.
An outpouring of public grief saw 32.1 million people pay their respects by tuning in, with around two billion viewers across the world making it the most-watched live TV royal broadcast of all time.
Young princes William and Harry walking in their mother's funeral procession was a heartbreaking sight that has remained a vivid memory for many of those who watched it.
Queen Mother's funeral, 2002
The Queen Mother was an incredible 101 years old when she passed away and she even outlived her daughter, Princess Margaret, by seven weeks.
More than a million people lined the funeral route in person from Westminster Abbey to Windsor Castle, and 10 million people watched the ceremony and procession on TV.
Prince Charles' 1994 interview with Jonathan Dimbleby
Between Charles and Diana's split and divorce, a BBC documentary Charles: The Private Man, the Public Role was watched by 13 million.
It may not have had the sheer number of revelations of more recent royal interviews, but one admission shocked viewers: Charles revealed that he had been unfaithful in his marriage, with a press conference announcement the next day that the woman in question was his now-wife Camilla Parker-Bowles.
She divorced her husband, Andrew Parker-Bowles, the following year.
Princess Diana's 1996 interview with Martin Bashir
Two years later, it was Diana's turn to set the record straight, with 23 million viewers seeing her utter the now famous line: "Well, there were three of us in this marriage, so it was a bit crowded."
It is still such an explosive interview 25 years on that it recently sparked a BBC investigation into the tactics employed by Martin Bashir and Panorama.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Oprah Winfrey interview, 2021
The 12.4 million viewers of Harry and Meghan's tell-all chat with Oprah are still reeling from claims that a senior royal made racist comments about their son Archie's potential skin tone, palace staff refused to help Meghan with her mental health crisis, and Prince Charles had been refusing to take Harry's calls.
In the aftermath of the interview, Piers Morgan was ousted from Good Morning Britain over comments about Meghan, the Royal Family came under scrutiny and Harry had to make the trip back to the UK alone for his grandfather's funeral.
Watch: William and Harry won't walk next to each other at Prince Philip's funeral
