London police chiefs and medics are bracing themselves for a safety nightmare on the Queen's funeral on Monday as they steadiness the necessity to shield the world's prime leaders and dignitaries with the general public's want to mourn their much-loved monarch.
Some have in contrast the occasion in scale to the London Olympics, however in reality the state funeral - the primary in Britain since Winston Churchill died in 1965 - is more likely to dwarf the 2012 sporting extravaganza.
Codenamed "Operation London Bridge," preparations for Britain's longest-serving monarch have been fastidiously pored over for years by the numerous companies concerned, with the Queen herself signing off on each element earlier than her loss of life.
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The town has already seen unprecedented crowds viewing the official lying-in-state, which can run till 6.30 am (3:30 PM AEST) on Monday, simply hours earlier than the funeral procession to Westminster Abbey commences.
The sheer numbers prompted queueing to be temporally paused on Friday.
In an interview with Sky Information earlier this week, London Mayor Sadiq Khan mentioned of the dimensions: "If you consider the London marathon, the carnival, earlier royal weddings, the Olympics - it is all that in a single."
The three police forces which function within the British capital - the Metropolitan Police, the Metropolis of London Police and British Transport Police - initiated their well-rehearsed plans throughout London as quickly because the loss of life of Elizabeth II was introduced on September 8.
The funeral would be the "largest single policing occasion" that London's Metropolitan Police pressure has undertaken, its Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy informed reporters Friday.
"As a single occasion, that is bigger than the 2012 Olympics. It's bigger than the Platinum Jubilee weekend. And the vary of officers, police employees, and all these supporting the operation is really immense," he mentioned.
It's also set to "be the biggest international safety operation the Met Police has ever undertaken" as "a whole bunch of world leaders and VIPs" descend upon London, he mentioned.
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When requested particularly how high-profile friends can be transported to London's Westminster Abbey for the funeral service, Cundy declined to provide particular particulars, saying it might not be conducive to a "protected and safe occasion and policing operation."
In the meantime the mammoth logistical operation has concerned myriad different facets, akin to medics, bathrooms, avenue cleansing and highway closures.
The scale of the crowds turning out to pay their final respects is "unimaginable" to foretell, based on Andy Byford, commissioner for Transport for London (TfL).
Byford described the funeral as "the most important occasion" the transport community has ever confronted in an interview with Britain's PA Media information company.
Evaluating it to the Olympics, he mentioned: "This is tougher. It is over an extended interval and though there are estimates, it's unimaginable to say with certainty how many individuals will flip as much as the varied parts, so we have assumed the best doable quantity and we're aligning our service to match that."
Invites have been despatched to world leaders, politicians, public figures and European royals, in addition to greater than 500 worldwide dignitaries. The safety issues are mind-boggling.
The British authorities is taking the lead on logistics however has refused to touch upon particular "operational safety preparations."
US President Joe Biden was among the many first to substantiate his attendance on the occasion, which will likely be attended by as much as 2,000 individuals. Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako may also journey to London, as will many different royals and international leaders.
Tons of of cops from different forces are supporting the Met, but the attendance of so many VIPs will pile on the strain.
"All the pieces can have been negotiated," mentioned Morgan, explaining that some concessions can have been made.
There merely aren't sufficient police and safety officers to provide an escorted convoy to all people who would usually get it on a standalone go to. Due to this fact persons are being put collectively on a logistical foundation," Morgan mentioned continued.
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Simon Morgan is a former royalty safety officer who was liable for overseeing senior royals together with the Queen and new King between 2007 and 2013.
"Will probably be seamless," Morgan, who now runs non-public safety agency Trojan Consultancy, informed CNN.
"The policing plan and safety behind it's a two-fold operation: safety and public security are each intrinsic."
Morgan mentioned the occasions surrounding the state funeral have been within the pipeline for many years.
"London Bridge got here to fruition within the 60s. It has been topic to evaluate at the least 3 times a 12 months.
"Parts are mentioned and certainly some parts have been already utilized in isolation," he mentioned, citing the Queen Mom's funeral in 2002, royal weddings and the Platinum Jubilee as examples.
Common critiques have been important in combating the altering nature of safety threats - from Irish nationalism within the Seventies and 80s, to Islamic extremism extra not too long ago.
White Home aides have declined to offer particular safety particulars for President Biden's go to, however say they're working with their British counterparts to make sure the calls for of presidential safety are met. The FBI will monitor potential menace streams and share any data with UK safety service MI5.
When stories emerged final week that world leaders can be required to trip on a bus to the funeral, US officers have been skeptical and shot down the suggestion Biden would journey to Westminster Abbey in a coach.
In 2018, when different world leaders traveled collectively in a bus to a World Conflict I memorial in Paris, then-US President Donald Trump traveled individually in his personal automobile.
The White Home defined on the time the separate journey was "because of safety protocols."
"All the pieces can have been negotiated," mentioned Morgan, explaining that some concessions can have been made. There merely aren't sufficient police and safety officers to provide an escorted convoy to all people who would usually get it on a standalone go to. Due to this fact persons are being put collectively on a logistical foundation," Morgan mentioned.
"There is not any compromise in relation to safety and a variety of visiting dignitaries will likely be very conscious of the optics of demanding their very own safety groups."
Police should additionally take into account the "fixated menace," he mentioned.
"That is somebody who's fixated on a member of the royal household. Lots of these persons are topic to psychological well being orders and subsequently got here to the eye of medical professionals and generally regulation enforcement."
"Single trigger" activists additionally pose a danger, Morgan mentioned.
The pressure has already are available in for harsh criticism over its remedy of republican protesters.
"Each single one in every of these causes needs to make use of international media consideration to spotlight what's vital to them," he added.
Symon Hill, from Oxford, informed CNN how he was aggressively arrested after calling out "not my King" at a ceremony which proclaimed Charles III's accession.
He mentioned he had been left "gobsmacked" after "police intervened, grabbed maintain of me, handcuffed me, and put me at the back of a police van."
He added: "Absolutely arbitrary arrest shouldn't be one thing we should always have in a democratic society."
In accordance with Morgan, police intention to not ban peaceable protests however guarantee public order, as demonstrations can generally provoke confrontation when feelings are operating excessive.
"The police are very a lot in a 'damned in the event you do, damned in the event you do not' state of affairs," he mentioned.
Whereas police are spearheading the operation, many others are intently concerned - amongst them army, transport and utility bosses.
Considerations over well being are paramount.
In addition to the official emergency companies, round 2,000 volunteers and workers from St. John Ambulance have supplied 24-hour assist in London and Windsor for the lying-in-state, in addition to her funeral.
"In our planning for this unhappy event, we estimated we might want round 1,000 volunteers, however greater than double which have mentioned they will make themselves out there," St. John Commissioner of Operations Mike Gibbons mentioned in a press release.
Patrick Goulbourne, assistant commissioner, operational resilience and management, at London Fireplace Brigade, informed CNN his group labored "over a few years with companions."
They've carried out fireplace security inspections on over 40 key central transport hubs and have additionally been finishing up round 160 fireplace security inspections a day at accommodations, eating places, retailers and extra. As well as, there have been 10 fireplace engines and round 50 firefighters helping individuals in line to see the Queen's coffin across the clock.