Police brace for 'Operation Golden Orb' during King Charles’ coronation
Police are bracing themselves for 'Operation Golden Orb' which will take place during King Charles III's historical coronation today (6 May).
With the Union Jack bunting going up and the coronation quiches gracing the shelves of every single supermarket in the UK - it's clear that Britain has been thoroughly preparing for the highly-anticipated crowning of the new king.
Given the age of the previous ruling monarch, the King's coronation has been in the planning for years, under the code name 'Operation Golden Orb', and there are a bunch of security measures that police are rolling out for the momentous occasion.
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Planning meetings were said to have been held once a year and were attended by representatives of the government, the Church of England, and staff for King Charles.
Charles first ascended to the throne on 8 September, 2022, following the death of his mother Queen Elizabeth II, who was crowned back in 1953.
Given the scale of the coronation, police officers are rolling out in their hundreds to enact a highly-planned security strategy to ensure the day's events run smoothly.
They will begin by lining the procession route from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey with other officers stationed on nearby rooftops for a birds-eye view of the ceremony.
Plain-clothed police officers will also walk amongst the crowds as an added security measure while blockades and pavement barriers will work to prevent vehicles being driven into the crowds.
Additionally, airport-style security screenings will be carried out by officers and there will be armed patrols throughout the procession route.
A no-fly zone has already been put over the central London area to avoid any airborne security breaches and, to keep yet another set of eyes and ears on the ground, police dogs and a close protection security operation for the royals will be in action.
And the security strategy for 'Operation Golden Orb' doesn't stop there as there has been a whole pre-emptive intelligence investigation weeks prior to the ceremony in which officers have scoured the internet and social media looking for potential threats to the royal family.
Detectives are using intelligence to determine which active demonstrators pose the highest level of risk to disruptive the procession and are currently keeping tabs on over 200 different people.
Alongside this, Metropolitan Police officers have also made visits to convicted terrorists before the day of the coronation, instructing them to avoid the day's celebrations, The Times reports.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Ade Adelekan, described the security strategy as 'an extremely significant operation' which involves 'a momentous effort' with other official agencies, some of which include the British Transport Police and Transport for London.
He went on to declare that the police force will have an 'extremely low tolerance for anything or anyone' causing disruption during the service.
"What they will find is a very swift and very quick action from us to make sure that everyone can carry on celebrating without interference or interruption of any such thing or any such person," he added
Topics: UK News, King Charles III, Royal Family, Coronation
Rhiannon Ingle