Queen’s funeral: Inside the biggest policing operation the UK has ever seen

Drains, phone boxes and bins are being searched by hand and sealed off as part of preparations for the Queen’s funeral.

The biggest security operation known in British history is being mounted for the historic occasion, as over 500 world leaders and dignitaries fly in from around the globe.

Thousands of police officers have been drawn into London to bolster numbers, including armed police and those with “specialist capabilities”, with shifts extended and rest days cancelled.

They will be combing Westminster Abbey, the route of the Queen’s funeral procession and Windsor for any potential threats ahead of Monday’s commemorations.

Armed police, sniffer dogs, CCTV cameras, snipers, horses, boats, helicopters and thousands of police officers will be deployed on the day, which is the biggest single operation the Metropolitan Police has ever undertaken – surpassing even the 2012 London Olympics.

Deputy assistant commissioner Stuart Cundy said the force, alongside partners in the government and intelligence agencies, had been “considering a whole range of potential threats and incidents that might occur”.

That includes terror attacks, criminal activity, disruptive protests, crowd surges and crushes.

Mr Cundy said the stabbing of two police officers on Friday morning, although not related to the Queen’ death, highlighted the risks at stake.

“It brings into sharp focus the need for all officers on duty, with support of members of the public, to maintain vigilance and flag anything they’re concerned about,” he added. “An incident such as this is always something we’re always very mindful of when it comes to major events.”

US president Joe Biden and French president Emmanuel Macron will be among the 2,000 people gathered inside Westminster Abbey for Monday’s funeral service, which will be followed by a procession and committal ceremony in Windsor.

The leaders of most Commonwealth countries such as Australia and Canada will also attend, alongside the presidents of nations such as Germany, Italy and Brazil.

Also on the guest list are European royals including King Felipe of Spain and his wife, Queen Letizia.

They will join members of the British royal family, UK prime ministers past and present and key figures from public life in one of the most high-profile gatherings ever seen.

Mr Cundy said the operation to protect international figures was the largest of its kind in Britain’s history.

“We will have hundreds of world leaders, UK leaders and VIPs in London, it is a hugely complex operation,” he told a press conference on Friday.

“Specialist officers from the Met and other forces, working with the Foreign Office and many other organisations, are well versed with engaging with world leaders and their own protection teams from wherever they come from. We need to make sure this is a safe and secure event.”

A former royal protection officer told The Independent that elements of the plan for the Queen’s funeral had been previously tested at the wedding of the now Prince and Princess of Wales and other large public events such as last year’s UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.

Simon Morgan explained that although foreign dignitaries could bring their own security teams into Britain, they are only allowed to carry guns “in exceptional circumstances” because the UK has different laws than other countries.

“UK policing teams have primacy because they have the legislation behind them,” he added.

“Any foreign protection team coming into the UK fully understands the rules they have to play with, as it is when we go to their country.”

Arrangements are agreed in advance through liaison facilitated by the Foreign Office and the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec).

The Metropolitan Police is then instructed who to give protection to, and has pulled in armed officers from across the UK to ensure it has sufficient capability for visible and covert patrols.

Peter Miles, chief executive of international security firm Broadstone Risks, told The Independent that depending on the level of security afforded to a particular funeral attendee, they may receive 24-hour protection covering their home or hotel as well as any public engagements.

Lesser figures may only bring one security guard or a small team, while world leaders such as the US president are expected to arrive with a whole team of people, vehicles and specialist equipment, he added.

“They cannot officially carry or bring any personal protective equipment – baton, sprays, guns etc,” Mr Miles said.

“Security is provided by the UK, subject to Foreign Office and Ravec approval. Else they are protected privately by their own accompanying teams. There are some very specific exceptions, however this is governed very tightly.”

Mr Morgan, now the director of operations for security firm Trojan Consultancy, said that as well as guard duty, British police are also responsible for ensuring the locations where events are held are secure.

He said Westminster Abbey, the procession route and other key places would be “searched and sealed”.

“Searching is a massive part of the police operation along with firearms and road policing,” he added. “There are also behaviour analysts to monitor the crowd – how’s the crowd behaving? Are some parts better than others? Is there an individual in a crowd behaving differently? All these things are being looked at.”

Mr Morgan said that while the potential for terror attacks and security risks are at the foreground of planning, with the security services keeping an eye on “subjects of interest” and feeding police any necessary intelligence, protests are also a key part of consideration.

“Somebody will look at that event and see that they can use the world’s media to highlight their cause,” he added. “When you come down to small groups of people and individuals who don’t create any intelligence footprint, that is always very difficult to predict.

“Someone who decides they are going to do something on the day is your nightmare.”

Mr Morgan believes that plans for the Queen’s funeral will take account of recently-evolved protest tactics, such as people glueing themselves to roads or locking onto each other, and the knock-on security risks they could create.

Mr Cundy said the policing operation “covers the whole spectrum of what it is that we think might occur”, adding: “The range of officers and staff supporting the operation is truly immense.”

The senior officer said armed and unarmed officers, mounted branch, special escort units and motorbike outriders, dogs and police marine units would all be on duty.

“Since the death of the Queen we have been implementing our well planned and hugely complex policing operation in London,” he added.

“More or less every UK force is represented in London to support this national set of events and the tens of thousands of members of the public who have been coming to London to pay their respects.

“We will do everything we can to ensure that the events leading up to the state funeral are safe.”

Following the Queen’s funeral procession through London, her coffin will be taken onwards to Windsor for a committal ceremony.

Airport-style security, including scanners and bag searches, will be in place for members of the public wishing to view the event near the castle, while Thames Valley Police is also utilising Automatic Number Plate Recognition Cameras and drones for the security operation.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim De Meyer said the force aimed to ensure a “proper, safe and dignified” farewell to the monarch.

The events are the culmination of decades of planning by multiple government departments, police and the security services, known as Operation London Bridge.

For the government, the Queen’s death triggered the biggest public service operations since the 2012 London Olympics.

Civil servants are working 24-7, with more than 100 working in a central operational response team and around 1,150 staff volunteering for other roles.

Daily ministerial meetings have been taking place and proceedings are being overseen by Sarah Healey, permanent secretary of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

As well as police, other emergency services and branches of the military will be supporting the Queen’s funeral, alongside volunteers from the British Red Cross, Scouts, Salvation Army, Samaritans and St John’s Ambulance.