Who Gets to Go to London!?
What we are reliably told London looks like. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images.
American TV journalists have been covering the death of Queen Elizabeth II extensively, of course. Most of that coverage has been done from anchor desks here at home, and with the help of foreign correspondents abroad.
As news of the queen’s poor health spread on Thursday, the big three cable news networks — CNN, Fox News and MSNBC — hastily erected sets outside of Buckingham Palace and rushed their London-based broadcasters into high-top seats.
Behind the scenes, they also put into motion plans to send some of their top anchors across the pond to inject this very British news cycle with some American swagger.
So who is in for a spot of tea for which network? Well put on your bowler hat, fire up your silly walk, and get on the correct side of the street because we have the names, and you will read them all in a painfully posh accent if we have anything to say about it, old pip.
CNN
Don Lemon
CNN, with its mighty international arm, already had a gaggle of seasoned broadcasters at the ready in London to cover the passing of the Queen.
CNN chief international anchor Christiane Amanpour, CNN anchor and royal correspondent Max Foster and CNN anchor Bianca Nobilo have been stationed outside Buckingham Palace for the better part of the last two days.
A fresh face landed in London off a red-eye on Friday: Don Lemon, anchor of CNN’s Don Lemon Tonight, who appeared beside Amanpour and Foster outside Buckingham Palace in a sharp double-breasted suit.
CNN senior international correspondent Matthew Chance and CNN correspondent Salma Abdelaziz reported from Downing Street, where England’s new prime minister, Liz Truss, has been for just three days.
CNN international correspondent Scott McLean reported from Windsor Castle, while CNN international diplomatic editor Nic Robertson and CNN anchor Isa Soares reported from Balmoral Castle in Scotland, where the Queen died at the age of 96 on Thursday.
FOX NEWS
Martha MacCallum
One lucky Fox News anchor made the trip across the pond to London.
Martha MacCallum, one of the network’s top anchors and host of The Story, landed in the U.K. on Friday and reported from Buckingham Palace for Fox & Friends in the morning.
MacCallum was a natural fit for Fox to send to London. She voiced the network’s obituary for the late monarch, the world’s longest-living female queen, after reporting on the royal family for years.
In addition to MacCallum, Fox News has made good use of its London-based reporters.
London-based senior foreign affairs correspondents Greg Palkot and Amy Kellogg and foreign correspondent Alex Hogan have all been reporting from the British capitol. Los Angeles-based chief correspondent Jonathan Hunt joined them on Friday (brutal flight — we hope Fox is putting you up at the Savoy, buddy.)
MSNBC
Katy Tur and Chris Jansing
Like CNN, MSNBC and NBC News dispatched a little army to Great Britain for the aftermath of the queen’s passing. MSNBC anchors Katy Tur and Chris Jansing took up the most coveted position in news on Friday — outside Buckingham Palace in London — while a legion of Peacockers were spread across the rest of the island.
Over on the NBC side of things: Today show anchor Savannah Guthrie and NBC News senior international correspondent Keir Simmons were also reporting from London.
NBC host Jenna Bush Hager and NBC News senior national correspondent Tom Llamas were up in Edinburgh, while chief foreign correspondent Richard Engel high-tailed it up to Balmoral.
Enjoy the weather and the food folks.
