The BBC will not broadcast live television coverage of the Commonwealth Day service for the first time in 37 years – a decision branded ‘ridiculous and appalling’.
BBC One will instead screen an episode of daytime property show Escape to the Country, while the prestigious annual event is taking place at Westminster Abbey.
King Charles, Queen Camilla, Prince William, Kate, Princess Anne and Vice Admiral Sir Tim Laurence will be among the 1,800 guests at the service on Monday at 3pm.
Commonwealth Day has been marked annually since 1972 and the service broadcast live every year since 1989 – apart from 2021 when it was axed due to the pandemic.
But BBC bosses confirmed they have decided not to show the event live this year because of the ‘difficult choices we have to make in light of our funding challenges’.
Royal expert Ingrid Seward, editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine, told The Sun: ‘It’s a ridiculous and appalling decision. The BBC has been doing it for years and it’s the most important date in the diary for celebrating the Commonwealth.
‘If even the BBC doesn’t think its worthy to cover and celebrate despite its huge cultural significance for member states and the monarchy then the Commonwealth could fade into an irrelevance with every passing year.’
This year’s service will include an address from Royal Commonwealth Society ambassador Geri Halliwell-Horner, a reflection from Oti Mabuse and a poem from Selina Tusitala Marsh, the inaugural Commonwealth Poet Laureate.
The Royal Family at the Commonwealth Day service at Westminster Abbey on March 10, 2025
The BBC schedule for 3pm on Monday shows an episode of Escape to the Country in that slot
Escape to the Country presented by Sonali Shah will be shown on BBC One at 3pm on Monday
As head of the Commonwealth, Charles issues an annual message to the 56 member-nations which will hold their biennial Commonwealth meeting this year during the first week of November in the capital of Antigua and Barbuda.
Inspired by the meeting’s theme – accelerating partnerships and investment for a prosperous commonwealth – the service will celebrate collaboration as a strength.
Among the congregation will be Commonwealth high commissioners, Government representatives, young people and leading voices from the creative community.
The service in London will feature landmark artistic moments, including the world premiere of the Commonwealth Symphony, composed by Rekesh Chauhan.
There will also be a dance collaboration between the Royal Ballet School and Sapnay Entertainments, uniting classical ballet and Bollywood in a cross-cultural partnership.
Other performers will include a Scottish ceilidh band, the Melodians Steel Orchestra and further special reflections and readings from guests.
But on BBC One at 3pm on Monday, viewers will see Escape to the Country presenter Sonali Shah help a Canadian couple find a home in Scotland’s Central Lowlands.
A BBC spokesperson told the Daily Mail today: ‘Our decision not to broadcast the Commonwealth Day Ceremony in the same way we’ve done in previous years reflects the difficult choices we have to make in light of our funding challenges.
‘We can confirm BBC News plans to cover the service across its platforms, including the BBC One bulletins and rolling news channel.’
