How the tiny town of Windsor is beefing up security ahead of the royal wedding
LONDON -- With less than 48 hours until what’s being billed as the wedding of the decade -- the union of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle -- the small English town of Windsor is being transformed into a fortress.
The town, which according to the most recent census in 2016 has a population of just over 30,000 people, is preparing to host an expected 100,000 visitors this Saturday according to the BBC.
The couple are due to be married at 12:00 p.m. BST on Saturday at St. George’s Chapel in Windsor Castle.
In the last few weeks, officers from the Thames Valley Police -- the regional force -- have become increasingly visible on the streets of Windsor as they've carried out patrols.
Officials have been carrying out hundreds of checks of public areas and additional cameras have been fitted around the town in order for police to monitor as much of the crowds as possible, according to a TVP police briefing.
It will be among "the largest" operation in the force's history.
Search specialist PD Steve Haycock told The Sun newspaper that officers have been “checking drains, manhole covers, street furniture, lamp posts, bins [and] mainly operating where people are going to be.”
Following the ceremony at the chapel, Harry and Meghan will tour the town’s streets in an open carriage at 1 p.m. local time, giving well-wishers a chance to glimpse the newly married couple.
The tour is only possible thanks to a massive security operation that will ensure the bride and groom’s safety throughout the 25-minute carriage procession.
The Daily Mail reported that snipers will be perched on rooftops, while special forces troops will be embedded in the crowd and roadblocks will line the route.
Several hundred members of the British Army, Navy and the Royal Air Force will be a part of the procession, walking behind the couple’s horse-drawn carriage, the Mail reported.
Carriage rides are a traditional part of royal weddings, allowing for the public to photograph the couple and to be a part of the celebration.
In order to accommodate the massive crowds, the Mail also reported that the town’s chief administrator told residents in a letter that the roads involved in the procession will be closed to the public for a rehearsal on Thursday and again from Friday night through Saturday for the event.
The cost of the security operation is estimated to top $40 million, according to The Evening Standard.
