April 29th 2011 ushered in the biggest event of the year for the British people, with The Royal Wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (now known as the Duke of Cambridge, and the Duchess of Cambridge respectively) brining with it not only another Bank Holiday, but the security of the future of the British Monarchy, and what many analysts predicted would be the highest TV ratings in history; but did 2 billion people really watch the young couple tie the knot?
While over 1 million people turned out to witness the ceremony take place in London; with vows being exchanged at Westminster Abbey, and then the traditional balcony kiss being staged at Buckingham Palace; it appears as though the TV ratings fell shy of what many analysts believed they may have hit; as while close to 23 million US viewers tuned in to watch the coverage (roughly 6 million more than watched the wedding of Prince William’s father and mother; Charles and Diana), the UK viewership still fell short of the number that witnessed Prince Charles and Diana marry in 1981.
Despite gaining less viewers than the wedding of Charles and Di (which was watched by 28.4 million Brits), William and Kate’s wedding was still watched by just shy of 27 million viewers (most of whom were extremely eager to catch the first glimpse of Miss Middelton’s wedding dress; which has received universal praise from countless critics); elevating it into the list of top-ten most watched programs ever broadcast in the UK (alongside the 1966 World Cup final, and Princess Diana’s funeral).
While there were undoubtedly millions of combined viewers watching from other countries (including several European countries, and some such as Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Nigeria, who don’t even have ratings figures), it’s likely that less than the predicted 2 billion tuned in; as one analyst has said “it’s absurd to think that one-third of the world’s population watched the Royal Wedding”, particularly as “most people around the world were asleep” when the coverage aired.
Nevertheless William and Kate’s wedding was a momentous occasion, celebrated not just across the length and breadth of Britain (where many people who are usually indifferent towards the Royals seized the opportunity to partake in numerous street parties), but all over the world, and the fact that so many people tuned in at rather unsavory hours, and when many shops in the UK stayed open, is a testament to the popularity of the future King and Queen of England.
Matt Wheeldon.
Source: Deadline.
