"Huge policing operation" planned for coronation of King Charles
London – A "huge policing operation" is being planned for the coronation of King Charles III, the U.K.'s minister for policing said Thursday.
"We're going to make sure that everybody involved in the coronation, including the general public, are kept safe," Chris Philp told British radio station LBC.
Philp was asked whether Prince Harry's attendance at the coronation would lead to an increase in security costs. He said each person's security would "get assessed on a case-by-case basis" and declined to comment on arrangements being made for Harry, specifically.
"I'm not going to get into people's individual protection arrangements. By the way, we're providing protection for hundreds of foreign heads of state, overseas heads of state, who are attending as well," Philp said. "It's a huge policing operation, both in terms of the streets and obviously protection for individuals."
The coronation of King Charles III is scheduled for May 6. On Wednesday, Buckingham Palace announced that Prince Harry would attend the event but "the Duchess of Sussex will remain in California with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet."
Prince Harry has not been seen with his father or brother since the publication of his tell-all memoir, "Spare," which detailed longstanding tensions within the royal family.
In a recent Netflix series, Harry and Meghan outlined concerns they had over the funding of their personal security when they were in the U.K. and abroad.
Last year, the former U.K. head of counterrorism policing said Meghan received multiple "disgusting and very real" threats against her life when she was living in the U.K.
After the couple stepped back from their royal duties in 2020, the U.K. government decided they should no longer receive police protection during visits, even if they paid for that protection themselves.
Meghan and Harry use private security services in the U.S., but Harry's lawyers argue that this is not sufficient in the U.K., and last year he won the right to challenge the British government's decision in court.
However, Sunday Times Royal Editor Roya Nikkhah told CBS News that full police protection will be provided to Harry for the coronation and would have been provided for Meghan and their children had they come.
"I think Harry coming on his own was the hope from many inside the palace, because the focus will be much more on the King and the Queen on coronation day, as it should be, rather than what sideshow might be going on with Harry and Meghan in attendance," Nikkhah said.
- In:
- King Charles III
- Prince Harry Duke of Sussex
- Meghan Duchess of Sussex
Haley Ott is an international reporter for CBS News based in London.
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