ROYAL fever is alive and well on BritBox South Africa in May, with the live stream of the Coronation of King Charles III on Saturday the 6th from 10am, adding an exciting regal touch. In addition to experiencing all the pomp and splendour of the Coronation, go behind the scenes for an intimate portrait of the royals through the lens of legendary royal photographer Arthur Edwards in the documentary Arthur: A Life with the Royal Family on May 4.
Edwards has been credited with taking some of the greatest royal pictures of all time while working for one of the UK’s best known newspapers, The Sun. For more than 40 years he has shot key members of the British royal family and has spent decades charting their highs and lows. On 6 May 2023, he will fulfil a lifelong dream: to photograph King Charles III’s coronation.
Across four decades, wherever the royal family travelled, Edwards has gone with them, capturing more than 200 royal tours across 120 countries. He’s been behind the lens at seven royal weddings, four funerals and seven royal births. In Arthur: A Life with the Royal Family, Edwards tells his own personal story, as well as revealing how he developed an enduring and trusting relationship with the family, and built a friendship with King Charles III and the Queen Consort, Camilla, allowing him to capture many unique and intimate moments over the last 45 years, from the joy of weddings to the heartbreak of loss.
This feature-length documentary captures iconic images of Queen Elizabeth II, Diana, William and Kate, Harry and Meghan, and of course King Charles III.
The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla, the programme produced by ITN and hosted by Tom Bradby and Julie Etchingham, will give viewers a front row seat at the historic event. This will be broadcast from Canada Gate, London, with Buckingham Palace balcony as the backdrop. After the live coverage ends, audiences will be able to watch the entire programme on demand, plus a special one-hour highlights show, available soon after the live programme concludes.
The Coronation will take place at Westminster Abbey, London and the service, conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury, will reflect the British Monarch’s role today and look towards the future, while being rooted in longstanding traditions and pageantry.
Launching exclusively on BritBox on 11 May is the third and final season of the Jane Austen-inspired period drama Sanditon where your favourite characters are joined by intriguing new arrivals as they search for happy endings in the fictional seaside town. Expect gorgeous costumes and plenty of romance and drama.
Rose Williams (Curfew) returns as high-spirited heroine Charlotte Heywood, who journeys back to the seaside resort of Sanditon with her new fiancé, Ralph Starling (Cai Brigden, Summer of Rockets), for the society event of the year – but seeing former love Alexander Colbourne (Ben Lloyd-Hughes, Industry) reignites old feelings. Kris Marshall (who can be seen on BritBox in Death in Paradise and its new spin-off, Beyond Paradise) is also back on screen as entrepreneur Tom Parker, full of ambitious plans to develop the town.
Meanwhile, the fortune of Charlotte’s friend Georgiana is under threat and it’s up to lawyer Samuel Colbourne, Alexander’s estranged brother, to come to her aid. There’s also a new family in town – Lady Montrose, who is desperately trying to marry off her children to wealthy residents. These newcomers bring their own secrets, romantic prospects and plot twists in true Austen style.
Northern Ireland provides a stunning seaside setting for popular crime drama Hope Street, which returns on May 25 for a second season with its strong ensemble cast of detectives and locals. Picking up six months after season one’s cliffhanger finale, the opening episode introduces detective Al Quinn (Stephen Hagan, Risen), who’s struggling to deliver at his new job while also raising his strong-willed daughter. Each of the 10 episodes features a self-contained crime story delivered with wit and warmth, involving the police and local community in the fictional Northern Ireland town of Port Devine, while also continuing some of the storylines from the first season, including Clint and Nicole’s efforts to start a family.
With its beautiful coastal setting, the second season also showcases a strong ensemble cast including Ciaran McMenamin (Primeval), Niamh McGrady (The Fall), Kerri Quinn (Coronation Street) and Aaron McCusker (Shameless). Season one, which starred Amara Karan (The Night Of), is already available to binge exclusively on BritBox.
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