People are not stopping to pay their last respects to Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen's coffin was placed in London's ancient Westminster Hall on Wednesday. The coffin will be kept there until the final ceremony. A large queue of people can be seen today, Thursday, who came to pay their respects. The line extended three miles to the River Thames. Many spent the whole night on the streets.
Rani's last rites will be completed next Monday. Heads of state and representatives of different countries of the world are appearing in London to participate in the funeral. Heavy security has been put in place around London amid fears that international terrorist organizations could be planning attacks around the presence of world leaders. Security has been beefed up everywhere from the roofs of buildings to manholes in the city.
The funeral will take place in the open air at Westminster Abbey, the Church of England in London. World leaders will be present there. Hence flawless security is adopted next to it. Millions of people around the world will watch the ceremony of saying goodbye to the queen live on television.
Intelligence agency MiFive and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) are working to strengthen security along with counter-terrorism police forces. London police have also increased manpower. Military officials and civilian security personnel also joined in the work. Police in the city have told Londoners to keep their eyes and ears open in the early stages of dealing with terror threats. It has also been asked to inform law enforcement immediately if anything unusual or suspicious comes to light.
The British government has hired hundreds of people from private security firms to help maintain order among the thousands of people who have come to pay their respects on the streets of London. 1500 officers from Gorkha and Paratrooper units, Royal Navy Police, Royal Military Police and Royal Air Force have been deployed since last Tuesday night. Military helicopters flew over Westminster to monitor the area. Additional cameras including CC cameras, mobile CTV cameras have been installed at various sensitive places.
Police have stepped up security in a large area of Westminster Abbey. Each manhole cover is opened and tested. The lampposts are being opened and tested. The security forces are keeping an extra eye on whether any explosive device has been placed anywhere. Search will be started in the entire area with 'Dog Squad'. A large number of policemen will conduct surveillance from the roofs of the buildings on the morning of the funeral on Monday.
London Police Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said, "It's a different arrangement, but we're good at what we do." The officers are well trained and experienced in intensifying police operations during such major events.''
Elizabeth II's funeral has been compared to that of her mother Elizabeth and daughter-in-law Princess Diana. However, this time due to the arrival of heads of state of different countries in the Queen's funeral, the issue of security is getting a different importance. Apart from that, threats have also increased in the current world reality.
Foreign guests will start arriving in London from Friday. However, the presence of US President Joe Biden and Israeli President Isaac Herzog is considered the most dangerous. Their own security team is also working in London.
Heads of State and Prime Ministers will attend a reception for King Charles III at Buckingham Palace on Sunday night. The next morning they will travel to Westminster Abbey to attend the funeral. Initially, the plan was for guests to be taken there by buses provided by the UK government. But plans have changed. Biden will go there in his protected car named 'The Beast'. Other heads of state will also go there on their own initiative.
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