The biggest ceremonial event held in the British capital in 70 years, King Charles’ coronation on Saturday, will have more than 11,000 police officers manning the streets of London, and they are ready to manage any problems, according to officials.
Approximately 100 heads of state will attend the event, along with sizable crowds of spectators, which security forces have spent months preparing for.
Numerous thousands of military members will march in a procession.
However, anti-monarchist protests are also scheduled for Trafalgar Square and the procession route.
The event, according to security minister Tom Tugendhat, was one of the most significant security operations the nation has ever carried out.
“The police are, to put it mildly, all over it, and our intelligence and other security forces are extremely aware of the challenge that we face,” he said.
Readiness for the event had been shown by the swift response to an incident on Tuesday evening when a man was detained after throwing what were believed to be shotgun cartridges outside Buckingham Palace, Tugendhat told Sky News.
Police carried out a controlled explosion.
“We’re in no way complacent” Tugendhat said.
Charles, along with his wife Camilla, will be crowned at Westminster Abbey on Saturday and Deputy Assistant Commissioner Ade Adelekan of London’s Metropolitan Police said there was no intelligence of any specific threat to the event.
The biggest issue is likely to be protesters seeking to use the occasion to highlight their causes, although a new law passed this week gives police extra powers to deal with these.
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Climate activists caused a disturbance during a parade at the start of celebrations for the late Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee last June, while eggs have been thrown at Charles by protesters at engagements since he became king.
“What we will not stand for and what we will not have is anyone committing criminal acts in the name of protest,” Adelekan said.
“We will come down very swiftly to intervene, to make sure that people that are going about their normal business that just want to enjoy the coronation are not interfered with.” he added.
The campaign group Republic said it still planned to stage protests despite receiving a letter from the Home Office setting out the new policing powers – a move it said “could be interpreted as intimidation”.
Republic leader Graham Smith said the group had met with the police and were told they had no concerns about its plans.
“Republic will not be deterred and we will be protesting on Trafalgar Square and along the route of the coronation procession on Saturday,” Smith said in a statement.
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