With eight weeks to go until the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, Thames Valley Police revealed on Thursday that it expects more than 100,000 people to visit Windsor for the event. This will make it one of the biggest operations in the force’s history.
Details of the security at the event at St George’s chapel, Windsor Castle, have also been released. A broad range of visible security measures are in place, such as number plate recognition technology, CCTV, and anti-terror vehicle barriers. There will also be a range of security measures not visible to the public.
Residents, businesses and visitors to the town can expect to see an increased police presence in the coming weeks. There will be police officers, both armed and unarmed, search dogs, the roads policing unit and the National Police Air Service on hand during the run up to the big day.
On the day of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding, visitors can expect to be stopped and checked by roads policing officers. British Transport Police will also be patrolling train stations and train carriages. Upon arrival at Windsor, there will be a screening and search regime that visitors will have to undergo.
Thames Valley Police have said that the public should not be alarmed by any of the measures put in place, it is all to keep people safe. The current threat from terrorism in the UK, set by MI5, is severe. This means a threat is highly likely.
The Metropolitan Police Service and Surrey Police will also be involved with the policing operation which is standard for large scale events such as Royal weddings.
Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable, David Hardcastle, who is the strategic commander for the wedding, said: “We are proud to police the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead. The Force has a long history of policing Royal events from the annual Windsor Garter Ceremony to state visits and more recently Her Majesty the Queen’s 90th birthday.
“The wedding of Prince Harry and Ms. Markle is no exception. We are working with our partners, local businesses and the community to deliver a safe, secure and happy event for everyone.”
For further information, Thames Valley Police have released this video: