The Royal Wedding was on May 19th 2018, and the world’s eyes will be glued to the sight of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle reciting their wedding vows in the latest Royal wedding. Thousands of people from across the globe are expected to line the streets to catch a glimpse of the happy couple, with 100,000 people predicted to descend on Windsor for the big day.
2,640 members of the public have also been invited to share Harry and Meghan’s special day from within the grounds of Windsor Castle, in a touching gesture that shows how down to earth the couple can be.
However, not so down to earth is the high security that’s planned for what is undoubtedly one of the big UK major events of 2018. It is thought that the total cost of the security detail for the Royal Wedding is around £30m, with the event deemed incredibly high risk for terrorist and other activity.
Thames Valley Police will deploy many officers to Windsor for the day – including snipers on rooftops, while Scotland Yard, dog patrols, marine officers and mounted forces will also be involved in the operation.
Aside from the swathes of security personnel, numerous other measures have been put in place to ensure that the big day runs smoothly. For example, all vehicles driving into Windsor will face being stopped and searched. At the same time, every single person attending will go through airport-style security scanners to check for concealed weapons and other dangerous items.
Automatic number plate recognition cameras will flag any suspicious vehicles entering the area. There will also be heavy-duty security fencing deployed, such as perimeter fencing on the procession route and at key entry points to prevent the risk of attacks involving vehicles driven into crowds.
A former police officer in charge of policing at the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton has warned that every person attending will be treated like a terrorist for security purposes. The real challenge at events such as these? Ensuring that security is watertight – but that the enjoyment of those attending isn’t marred by the desire to stay safe. It can be tricky to maintain: if you’re interested in finding out how we can help keep your next event safe and secure but not to the detriment of the event itself, get in touch.
