The biggest-ever police operation put in place for Queen’s funeral

Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral was held on Monday, involving the biggest security operation and protocol team the country has ever seen. Calling the Queen’s funeral “Operation London Bridge,” the U.K. government braced itself for the ceremony with the biggest-ever police force in its history to prevent any possible terrorist threats or crimes. The operation was established in 1960 and went under review in April this year, according to The Times.

At the funeral, where around one million people gathered, the number of police officers on duty surpassed that of the London 2012 Olympics. “The policing operation for the funeral is the biggest in the London force’s history,” Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said. Police erected 36 kilometers of barriers in central London to control crowds.

The U.K. Saint John’s Ambulance offered medical aid with a thousand volunteers and staff members for 24 hours. London Fire Brigade went through more than 160 safety tests a day to prevent fire in crucial traffic points, restaurants, and shops.

The U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office organized the arrivals of heads of state and dignitaries, including President Biden, with an unprecedented number of officials deployed for diplomatic protocol. The Wall Street Journal reported that the number of officials put in place to welcome world leaders during the funeral was 300.

According to The Times, some 280 officials, including clergies, police officers, and soldiers, gathered in the meeting to review Operation London Bridge in April and discussed what would happen in detail for 10 days of the mourning period and funeral after the Queen’s death. The Operation was established 62 years ago and has been reviewed for practical updates twice a year since then.


Eun-Taek Lee nabi@donga.com