A massive security operation was being ramped up today as final rehearsals were taking place for the Coronation of King Charles.
A ring of steel was being put in place around Westminster Abbey, with roads closed off, to counter any threat from protesters or terror groups.
Thousands of police will be deployed to protect the procession and ceremony on Saturday, which will be attended by heads of state and government leaders. As London was set to “showcase” Britain on the global stage:
•The first glimpses of the Coronation were revealed as rehearsals took place in central London in the early hours of today.
•Hundreds of soldiers, many on horseback, went from Buckingham Palace, past Trafalgar Square and Downing Street, to the abbey.
•The Diamond Jubilee State Coach and Gold State Coach were taken down The Mall.
Security minister Tom Tugendhat said the security operation was one of the “most important”. It followed a security alert last night when a man was arrested outside Buckingham Palace after shotgun cartridges were allegedly thrown into the grounds.
MI5 and the intelligence services, MI6 and the GCHQ spy listening centre, are involved in identifying any threats, including possibly from overseas.
Ministers stated that controversial new public order laws would target “guerrilla tactics” of climate activists blocking roads in the capital.
The Bishop of London, Dame Sarah Mullally, told of the “privilege of a lifetime” to be one of the first female church leaders to take part in a coronation.
Across the country, community and other groups were planning hundreds of street parties to join in the coronation festivities.
The Met Police operation, known as Golden Orb, will be one of the most significant and largest security operations the Met has led.
There will be more than 29,000 police officer deployments over the coming week in the lead up to Coronation Day and over the rest of the Bank Holiday weekend.The Met said 11,500 officers would be on duty on the day of the Coronation and that the police wanted to ensure that the public enjoyed a “spectacular celebration”.
It said the force had been preparing for months to keep people safe from any threats, but urged the public to report suspicious activity.
It added that deployments would include “officers lining the processional route, managing crowds and road closures, protecting high-profile individuals, and carrying out searches with specialist teams” and that “officers from our dog unit, firearms unit, marine support, and special constabulary” would also be “ready to respond to any incident or crime”.
Police outside Buckingham Palace
Deputy assistant commissioner Ade Adelekan, the officer in charge of the operation, added: “We want Londoners and visitors coming to the city to enjoy this historic and momentous occasion safely and securely. On Coronation Day we will have the largest one-day mobilisation of officers seen in decades with just over 11,500 officers on duty.
“The weekend promises to be a spectacular celebration and the Met police is honoured to be policing such an internationally-important event right across the capital.” Shortly after midnight, the Diamond Jubilee State Coach was accompanied by hundreds of soldiers as it travelled along The Mall, in a rehearsal of the procession.
A police sniffer dog at the scene outside Buckingham Palace
Royal fans waited for over three hours
for the parade to make a return journey down The Mall. Hundreds from the
Army, Navy and RAF marched through central London before stopping along
Whitehall and standing in silence.