King Charles III: When is King Charles III on BBC2? Air date, start time, trailer, cast

What time is King Charles III on BBC2?

The royal drama will air on BBC2 at 9pm tomorrow, Wednesday May 10, and will be made available to watch online on BBC iPlayer immediately afterwards.

Is King Charles III a series? Will there be more episodes?

King Charles III is a one-off ‘future history’ drama based on Mike Bartlett’s Olivier Award-winning play of the same name.

It is set immediately after the death of the Queen, and follows Prince Charles as he ascends to the throne.

The BBC has teased: “Charles has waited a lifetime to ascend to the throne, but when he finally does he finds himself wrestling his conscience over a bill to sign into law. 

“His hesitation detonates a constitutional and political crisis and divides his family, with Prince William and Kate realising his actions may threaten their future.”

Meanwhile, Prince Harry begins a new relationship with a republican who becomes embroiled in a sex scandal.

The play and its adaptation includes a controversial scene in which the ghost of Princess Diana appears to both Charles and William.

The late Tim Pigott-Smith, who played Charles, said that he found the “hyper-sensitive” scene “incredibly painful” to film, “just because that whole incident was so terrible”.

“I don’t think it is presumptuous of us to do it or wrong of us to do it,” Smith told The Times in his last interview before his sudden death on April 7. 

“For Charles or William or Harry it would be agonising to watch. That upsets me. But I don’t think we’ve done anything unreasonable or cruel.”

Who is in the cast of King Charles III?

The BBC adaptation features many of the same cast members as the original play, with a few new additions.

Tim Pigott-Smith as King Charles

Tim Pigott-Smith reprises the title role, having also played Charles in the original theatre production, which was written in poetic blank verse.

The veteran actor said that the biggest challenge in translating the play from stage to screen was its use of “big language”.

“I was concerned about whether the soliloquies would be intact as they were very important in the play and Charles had several. 

“I was also concerned about whether the humour would come across on TV. But Mike’s done a really good job of moving it from being a Shakespearean style history play to a modern film but yet still keeping the incredible verse and language. 

“I think we’ve managed to capture the essence of what we did on stage and bring it to the camera.”

WILL PRINCE CHARLES EVER BE KING?

Charlotte Riley as Kate, the Duchess of Cambridge

Charlotte Riley is one of the few cast members who did not appear in the original play, which she said she used to her advantage when approaching her portrayal of the Duchess of Cambridge.

“I was talking to a friend about how nervous I felt as I was an outsider, and she said to use it for the character as that was the situation that Kate was in when she joined the family and I’m joining theirs,” she said.

“I don’t know what her experience was but I was told it was a good experience and that she was taken under their wing which is how I’ve felt with these guys. They have all taken the time to welcome me into the fold so I was lucky really.”

Riley said that her character differs from the real-life Kate, and is “pragmatic and forward with her opinions”.

“She wants to move things forward for the Royal Family,” she explained. “She encourages William to become the man she knows he can be, leading from the front. She’s almost like the CEO of a business.”

Oliver Chris as Prince William

Oliver Chris starred opposite Smith in both the London and New York productions of King Charles III, returning once more for the BBC edition.

The actor said that he had “goosebumps” when he first read the TV script.

“I don’t know if that’s because I’d never read a script like it before or because it was so amazing to see this play that we worked on for so long, so different yet so identical,” he said. 

“Seeing it elevated into a new art form was an extraordinary thing.”

Chris’s version of William “is a very dutiful member of the Royal Family – he’s been indoctrinated to his role and his duty to his father and his family. There is a way of behaving and being that he feels duty bound to embody”.

“As the country begins to spiral slowly into chaos, and ultimately disaster, he has to face reality that he has to do something about it,” he teased. “He is going to have to take a big step with the help of his wife.”

Richard Goulding as Prince Harry

Richard Goulding once again plays Prince Harry, who he says is “struggling and in turmoil” in the show.

“Without giving too much away, he starts off in a place where he doesn’t know who he is or what his role is,” he said.

“He doesn’t want to engage with what he needs to do as a Prince and meets a girl that isn’t the sort of girl that he ought to be with, at least in the eyes of the public and his family. 

“It takes him on a journey of discovery of what life could be like if he didn’t have his duties.”

The rest of the cast

Rounding out the returning cast is Adam James as Prime Minister Tristram Evans, Margot Leicester as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall and Katie Brayben as the ghost of Princess Diana.

Tamara Lawrance stars as Jess, Prince Harry’s commoner girlfriend – a role originated by Tafline Steen.

Priyanga Burford plays Mrs Stevens, leader of the Opposition – originally a man in the play.