A police officer, wearing full ceremonial dress and white gloves, was carried on a stretcher by two members of the Royal Navy before the ceremony began. The Metropolitan Police said the man had recovered and four other officers “received medical attention after becoming unwell”. Two of the officers fell ill on the Mall, which leads to Buckingham Palace, two on nearby Horse Guards Parade and one next to the Victoria Memorial. All have recovered. Three servicemen also had to be helped by colleagues after they appeared to be in difficulty from Wellington Arch shortly before 2pm. One was seen collapsing to the ground after the royal family left, while two others were also seen being helped away before and after the Queen’s coffin was carried in the state hearse from the memorial. At Hyde Park Barracks, another member of the military staff tripped and was picked up by a comrade. It came just days after a guard collapsed while tending to the Queen’s coffin during her repose at Westminster Hall. Some members of the public also fell ill after gathering to watch processions to and from the Queen’s funeral in central London. St John Ambulance said that at 3.30pm. on Monday, it had treated 357 patients with London Ambulance Service, of whom 45 were taken to hospital. Thousands of officers have been deployed as part of the biggest security operation in the history of the Metropolitan Police. Police have been drawn into London from forces across the UK to bolster numbers, with shifts extended and rest days canceled for some officers. As well as the uniformed officers who follow the route of the Queen’s funeral processions and guard Westminster Abbey, armed officers are on patrol along with dogs, snipers, horses, boats and helicopters. A member of the Metropolitan Police was carried away on a stretcher by two members of the Royal Navy ahead of Queen Elizabeth II’s State Funeral (Getty) Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cuddy described the Queen’s funeral as “the largest single deployment of officers to an operation ever undertaken by the Metropolitan Police”. He said the force, along with government and intelligence partners, was “looking at a whole range of potential threats and incidents that could happen”. Planned scenarios include terrorist attacks, criminal activity, disruptive demonstrations, large crowds and crashes. Mr Cuddy said the stabbing of two police officers on Friday morning, although unrelated to the Queen’s death, highlighted the dangers at stake. “It brings to the fore the need for all officers on duty, with the support of members of the public, to remain vigilant and flag anything of concern,” he added. “An incident like this is always something we always look out for when it comes to major events.” The operation to protect hundreds of world leaders, officials and high-profile figures is the biggest of its kind in British history. After the Queen’s funeral at Westminster Abbey, her coffin will be taken to Windsor for a committal ceremony. Airport-style security, including scanners and bag searches, will be in place for members of the public who wish to attend the event near the castle, while Thames Valley Police are also using automatic number plate recognition cameras and drones for the security operation.
