Millions of pounds are being spent on a massive security operation for the upcoming Coronation.
It has been revealed around £150million will be used to deploy thousands of police officers and protection squads for King Charles III’s ceremony.
A further £100m will be used towards staging the ceremony and three days of celebrations. The total cost of the Coronation is now in the realm of £250m, despite the King’s attempts at a slimmed-down, cost-effective monarchy, reports the Mirror.
READ MORE: King Charles' Coronation may be 'the shortest in British history', expert claims
The Queen’s 1953 Coronation cost Britain £1.57m – around £47m in today’s money.
However, as a result of an increase in security threats and a series of planned domestic protests, costs for Saturday’s event – codenamed Operation Golden Orb – have soared way above initial estimates of £100m.
Home Office sources told The Mirror 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, 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.
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 £150m, 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 escorts 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, told The Mirror: "£150m 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."
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