The BBC will be offering a very special opportunity to local communities in the UK on Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's royal wedding day - allowing a one-off dispensation so that members of the public can come together and take part in the 19 May celebrations. The unique dispensation allows those celebrating the royal wedding through special events - such as parties in town halls, community centres and streets across Britain - to screen the event live without needing to purchase a licence. The rule will also apply to shops and events such as agricultural shows.
Harry and Meghan will marry on 19th May
Harry and Meghan will be married by the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby in a midday ceremony, taking place in St George’s Chapel in the grounds of Windsor Castle. The couple will then travel through the streets of Windsor in a carriage. Audiences from across the UK will be able to enjoy BBC coverage across radio, TV and online, details of which will be announced in due course.
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Pipa Doubtfire, Head of Revenue Management for the BBC, told us: "By law, if live television or iPlayer is viewed on any premises, those premises must be covered by a valid TV Licence. However, in exceptional circumstances, the BBC can grant a dispensation for the temporary viewing of television, so long as the viewing is for the sole purpose of screening an event which is judged by the BBC to be of national importance. The BBC considers that the royal wedding is such an event."
The BBC have announced a special licensing agreement so anyone can screen the coverage
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Aside from one-off dispensations, a TV licence is always needed to watch or record live TV - on any device including a laptop, tablet or mobile phone. You need to be covered by a TV Licence to watch or record live TV programmes on any channel or device, and to download or watch BBC programmes on iPlayer - so this is a pretty big deal!
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