Charles: Our New King: what will ITV documentary about King Charles III reveal, what time is it on TV tonight?

Charles III became king of the United Kingdom on the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September this year - and thus the Carolean age began. Charles, aged 73 (he will turn 74 this month) has lived quite a life, serving a long apprenticeship as the heir to the throne. He has met leaders from around the world, represented the UK internationally, married twice, and fathered the heir who will one day replace him.

Charles has already appointed his first Prime Minister, following the resignation of Liz Truss and election of Rishi Sunak last month - and is likely to appoint several more during his reign. The new ITV documentary Charles: Our New King will focus on the life of Charles before he sat on the throne, from his childhood to his time as the Prince of Wales and heir apparent.

The king will be coronated on 6 May 2023 alongside his wife, Camilla. The ceremony will take place at Westminster Abbey, and will be conducted by the Archbishop of Canterbury. It will be a major television event in the UK and around the world and reflect the role of the monarch in the modern world.

Confusingly ITV’s documentary comes the same week as the second half of a two-part Channel 4 series of the same name airs, and one week before season five of The Crown, which will cover similar ground, but in a more dramatic fashion, drops on Netflix. This is what to expect from the ITV documentary:

What is Charles: Our New King about?

The documentary is presented by Tom Bradby, a British journalist and current presenter on ITV News at 10. Bradby previously worked as a royal correspondent, covering the Queen’s Golden Jubilee, and the deaths of the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret. Our New King will cover major events from Charles’s life, from his birth three years after the end of the Second World War, his young adulthood, love life, controversies, and charitable activities.

Our New King will try to discover what kind of a monarch the king will be, and how his seven decades spent waiting in the wings will influence his reign. Whereas his mother was not expected to become queen, only becoming the heir aged 10 when he uncle, Edward VIII, abdicated, Charles has spent his life preparing to rule.

The documentary will feature interviews with those who know the king best, from his close friends and former colleagues, to those who have worked with him on his charitable endeavours. Events likely to be covered in the special include Charles’s relationship with Princess Diana, who he was married to from 1981-1996, and later marriage to Camilla, who is now the Queen Consort, in 2005, as well as his involvement with the charity, The Prince’s Trust.

When is Charles: Our New King on TV?

The one off special documentary, Charles: Our New King, will air on ITV on Wednesday 2 November at 9pm. The episode is 70 minutes long and you will be able to watch it on the ITV Hub shortly after it is first broadcast.