In addition to the large crowds that will gather on Wednesday, when Queen Elizabeth’s coffin is moved from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Hall — where the former monarch will lie in state until September 19 — officials are dealing with the logistics of organizing a funeral which will be attended by hundreds of world leaders and officials. “I think this is a different magnitude of risk,” said Nick Aldworth, who has held several top posts during his three-year career as a public safety official, including head of security and policing in Britain’s parliament, managing security for the Queen Mother. and firearms coordinator for the London 2012 Olympics. Aldworth, who is now a private consultant, says the 2012 Games presented a major security challenge, but the Queen’s mourning period and state funeral are even more complicated. “The difference between the Olympics and this event is that the Olympics are spread over three weeks,” Aldworth told the CBC from his home in North Oxfordshire, England. The Queen’s funeral is “probably the same number of people, the same number of visiting dignitaries, squeezed into a few days”.
Terrorist threat
The UK’s current terror threat level is ‘substantial’, meaning an attack is likely and thousands of extra officers will be deployed to events in London over the next six days. Counter-terrorism security expert Nick Aldworth says the Queen’s coronation and funeral will be the UK’s biggest security challenge yet. (Submitted by Nick Aldworth) Aldworth, who was appointed the UK’s national counter-terrorism coordinator in 2018, says the area where the Queen will lie in state already has semi-permanent security measures in place, such as barriers to prevent vehicles from entering crowds. Many roads between Buckingham Palace and the Hall of Westminster have been closed to traffic and metal fencing has been installed. Britain has seen a number of deadly attacks, including IRA bombings in the 1980s and 1990s which in some cases targeted civilians and military personnel. The most recent attacks include 2017 Attack on London Bridge and Manchester Arena bombing, but Aldworth says the police also have a “long history of disrupting terrorism.” “The reassurance that people need to get is that this central footprint is in most of it [mourning] the activity that takes place will be incredibly well protected,” he said. Police have faced some criticism for arresting three people in Edinburgh for breaches of the peace as they protested the monarchy while the Queen’s coffin was being moved through Scotland. WATCHES | Scotland bids farewell to the Queen:
Scotland bids farewell to Queen Elizabeth
Scotland took center stage as Queen Elizabeth’s coffin arrived in Edinburgh, where it will lie in St. Mary’s Cathedral. Giles to score the audience. Many in Scotland have a deep love for the Queen and keeping them happy with the monarchy will be one of King Charles’ biggest tasks. After a man was questioned by police in London for holding a white piece of paper on which he said he wanted to write “Not my king”, the Met Police issued a statement saying the public had a right to protest. Aldworth says one challenge will be managing the transport system, given how many people from outside central London are expected to descend on the area. Security personnel stand guard on the terrace of Buckingham Palace in London on Tuesday. (Maja Smiejkowska/Reuters) Transport for London (TFL), a local government authority, has warned that services will be busy and that some Tube stations may be closed in a bid to control crowds. TFL says people walking past Westminster Hall to walk past the Queen’s coffin will be subject to Airport-style security check and they are not allowed to have large backpacks.
Front of the line
People began lining up along the River Thames, opposite the Hall of Westminster, for the chance to pay their respects to the Queen on Monday afternoon, 48 hours before London’s layover began. Vanessa Nanthakumaran, 56, was first in line and plans to beat the two-day wait with the help of friends and even strangers who bring her food and hot drinks. “They take good care of us,” she told the CBC, adding that she wanted to line up early because she had admired the royal family since she was a young girl growing up in Sri Lanka. Vanessa Nathakumaran, 56, was first in line on Tuesday to pay her respects to the Queen in London. (Briar Stewart/CBC) Nanthakumaran spoke while sitting on a small stool along the river, but organizers say that from Wednesday at 5 p.m. London time, the line will continue to move as mourners can pass the casket 24 hours a day. People can have to wait in line for hours, and organizers say they will have to wait to be standing most of the time. On Tuesday night, Grace Gothard, who was third in line, slept on the riverside sidewalk, saying the only downside was the chilly night air. “When there’s something important in your life, you don’t mind doing it, whether it’s hard or easy,” said Gothard, who moved to the UK from Ghana in 1985. Next to her on a mattress was a jar of jam with a picture of Paddington Bear, a reference to one viral video the queen participated in her Platinum Jubilee celebrations earlier this year. Mourners will be able to pass the Queen’s coffin until 6.30am. on September 19. Grace Gothard slept outside on Monday night to make sure she was one of the first in line to pay her respects to the Queen at Westminster Hall. (Briar Stewart/CBC) The funeral will be held later that morning at 11. It will be closed to the public but will be attended by families, heads of state and other foreign dignitaries. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau will attend, along with US President Joe Biden. Some media reported about it Directive This suggests that for logistical reasons, foreign officials have been urged to fly commercially rather than by private plane, as Healthrow Airport will not be able to handle a surge of private flights. It is also reported that they are being asked to travel en masse by bus to Westminster Abbey for the funeral, rather than by private car, to reduce the number of vehicles in central London. Security officials gather for deployment near the Palace of Westminster in London on Tuesday. Thousands of extra police are also being deployed in central London ahead of the Queen’s funeral on September 19. (Emilio Morenatti/The Associated Press)
