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30-04-2023
LONDON: A massive security operation will push the cost of the Coronation of King Charles III into the realm of £250million.
A huge chunk around £150million will be needed to deploy thousands of police officers and protection squads, insiders reveal.
The rest goes on staging the ceremony and three days of celebrations.
The eye-watering cost to taxpayers is despite the King’s wishes for a slimmed-down, cost-effective monarchy.
It cost Britain £1.57million to stage the Queen’s Coronation in 1953 around £47million in today’s money but ever-increasing security threats and a series of planned domestic protests have sent costs for Saturday’s event codenamed Operation Golden Orb soaring way above earlier estimates of £100million.
Home Office sources revealed last night that a special air traffic control schedule has been drawn up for dignitaries flying in.
Security will be tightened at landing spots, which include RAF Northolt in Middlesex and RAF Biggleswade, Beds, from Thursday.
It comes amid fears that climate change protesters could target the private jet arrivals.
A major operation to stop activists sabotaging Coronation Day itself will see huge numbers of armed officers on the streets, snipers on rooftops, and police drones monitoring crowds for suspicious activity.
Groups like Just Stop Oil and Republic could team up to cause disruption.
Special Forces will also be on standby as part of the UK Counter Terrorism Defence Mechanism, with Blue Thunder 2 helicopters poised in the event of an attack.
A well-placed Home Office insider said: “Security alone will be up to £150million, possibly more. It’s a crazy sum, but this is one of the biggest public events in recent history.
“Thousands are involved many working overtime. Just getting dignitaries into the country and to their accommodation is a hell of an operation in itself. They will mostly be taken by police escort from the airfields.
“That’s one small cog in this gigantic security machine there is so much more to the operation.”
Security expert Mark Scoular, a tactical commander for the weddings of Prince William and Prince Harry believes the final security bill will go yet higher.
Mark, also Head of Emergency Preparedness for the 2012 Olympics, said: “£150million is a lot, but I think the final sum could be a lot more, because the work that goes into an event like this is monstrous. On Coronation Day itself, there will be entire CBRN chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear units across London. (Int’l Monitoring Desk)
