London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Sep 19, 2026

Queen's funeral: Policing an 'enormous success', says police chief

Queen's funeral: Policing an 'enormous success', says police chief

Policing of the Queen's funeral and the period of national mourning was "an enormous success", the officer in charge has said.

The day of the funeral itself was the Met Police's largest-ever operation.

Code named Operation London Bridge, it involved officers from across the UK supporting events in London, Windsor, Norfolk and Scotland.

Gold commander, Chief Constable Lucy D'Orsi, praised officers and thanked the public for their support.

At least 67 people were arrested in London on Monday as part of the police operation for the state funeral, the Met has said.

The police chief in charge of the operation says it was "an enormous success"


Ms D'Orsi, who since March 2021 has served as chief constable of the British Transport Police, said: "From a policing perspective, I think it's been an enormous success.

"What made this operation different to ones we routinely do is that there was no notice.

"The operation starts from the minute that we were aware of the death of Her Majesty and that makes it fundamentally different to any other operation."

She added that it was "too early to tell" the full cost of the operation, which was the largest ever ceremonial policing operation.

The operation involved the "largest ever deployment of hostile vehicle mitigation" with large vehicle barriers blocking off the entrances to roads in central London such as The Mall, Ms D'Orsi said.

Monday's funeral was the Met's largest ever policing operation


Around 650 protection officers, firearms officers and armed response vehicles were sent out over the 10 days of mourning, with over 500 specialist search teams trained to scour key landmarks and buildings where crowds gathered.

Thousands more officers also supported local events and more than 50 police dogs trained in explosives and firearms detection were deployed.

Thames Valley Police was responsible for policing the operation after the funeral procession left the capital and arrived in Windsor, where the Queen was finally laid to rest.

Assistant Chief Constable Tim De Meyer said it was "among the largest operations in our force history".

"I must also thank local residents and businesses and the many visitors to our town for their support and co-operation," he said.

"It was a pleasure for colleagues to meet and speak with them over the last 10 days."

Home Secretary Suella Braverman said: "This was the largest ever ceremonial policing operation, seeing thousands of officers deployed from forces across the United Kingdom to manage and oversee this unparalleled event, including ensuring the safety of the Royal Family and foreign dignitaries during the state funeral.

"I have seen first-hand the professionalism, dedication and skill of officers, who should be immensely proud of their work."

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Addison Lee Founder Loses £20.5 Million Non-Domicile Tax Case
BrewDog Creditors Face Heavy Losses After Collapse
Thirteenth Metropolitan Police Officer Dismissed Over Charing Cross Conduct
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Asylum Accommodation Plan
NHS Approves Life-Extending Treatment for Women With Incurable Breast Cancer
Software Defect Blamed for Major UK Air Traffic Disruption
Twenty Women Underwent Unnecessary Mastectomies at County Durham NHS Trust
British Steel Costs Taxpayers £1.3 Million a Day as MPs Demand Long-Term Plan
UK Parliament Advances Sovereign Grant Reform Setting Royal Funding at £99.9 Million
King Charles Urges Human-Centred Approach to Artificial Intelligence at Scotland Summit
House of Lords Begins Scrutiny of Voting-Age and Political Finance Reforms
UK Labour Market Shows Growing Divide Between Younger and Older Workers
Nearly Seven in 10 UK Small Businesses Delay or Cancel Growth Plans as Costs Rise
Andy Burnham Reaffirms UK Net-Zero Target Amid North Sea Energy Debate
UK Parliament Demands Credible Financial and Decarbonisation Plan for British Steel
MPs Urge Government to Reject Thames Water Rescue Deal and Prepare Special Administration
Bank of England Holds Rate at 3.75% as Energy Shock Raises Inflation Risks
TUC Calls for Social Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Taxes on Bank Profits
UK Parliament Enters Conference Recess After Advancing Sovereign Grant Legislation
King Charles Hosts Artificial Intelligence Leaders at Dumfries House Summit
Nearly Seven in Ten UK Small Businesses Delay or Cancel Growth Plans as Costs Rise
Anthropic Details Malicious Use of Claude in Cyber, Weapons and Influence Operations
McLaren Announces £500 Million UK Investment and 1,000 New Jobs
Scotland and Wales Sign Cardiff Agreement to Deepen Cooperation on Shared Policy Priorities
UK Government Moves to Fully Fund Teacher Pay Award as Strike Threat Recedes
UK Competition Regulator Deepens Scrutiny of Microsoft’s Business Software and AI Market Position
NHS England Reforms Focus on Cutting Waiting Lists and Improving Digital Care
England Maintains Mandatory Housing Targets in Push for 1.5 Million New Homes
UK Government Plans Statutory Industrial Strategy Council to Strengthen Long-Term Economic Policy
Asthma Charity Warns of Major Gaps in Childhood Diagnostic Testing Across England
TUC Chief Paul Nowak Appointed to Bank of England Court
Bristol Opens £35 Million Deep-Tech Innovation Hub at Temple Quarter
Oxfordshire Village Votes Symbolically to Leave UK Over Asylum Housing Plan
Andy Burnham Deepens UK Defense and AI Cooperation With NATO and Canada
UK Government Announces Neonatal Safety Reforms After Thirlwall Inquiry
Bank of England Weighs Rate Decision as UK Inflation Rises to 3.1%
UK Health Unions Warn of Staffing Pressures as Public and Private Pay Growth Diverges
Rockstar Games Faces Tribunal Claims From 23 Former Grand Theft Auto VI Developers
UK Treasury Faces Tighter Budget Constraints as Borrowing Costs and Pension Spending Rise
Prime Minister Andy Burnham Sets Out Ten-Year Plan for Greater Public Oversight of Utilities
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Services and Technology Activity Strengthen
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Coordinate Push for UK Constitutional Change
Police Tighten Public-Order Measures After Anti-Immigration Protests in Dover and Portsmouth
UK Ministers Pressed for Answers After US Diplomat Accused of Child Abuse Images Leaves Britain
Jaguar Land Rover Pursues NATO Defense Contracts for Defender Vehicles
British Service Member Dies in Road Accident While Deployed in Ukraine
George Osborne Calls for Britain to Rejoin EU Customs Union
Anthropic Chief Dario Amodei Urges Faster UK Action on Advanced AI Risks
UK State Pension Set for 3.9% Rise Under Triple Lock
UK Labour Market Cools as Payrolled Employment Continues to Decline
×