RING OF STEEL
Royal Wedding has ‘£30m’ ring of steel security operation as snipers descend on Windsor ahead of big day
ARMED cops have descended on Windsor today as a £30m ring of steel clamps down around the town ahead of the Royal Wedding.
Snipers in full military gear could be seen strolling the streets, with officers given orders to "do whatever is necessary" to ensure the wedding of the year is pulled off.
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Armed police, undercover officers and security barriers are just a few of the measures used to ensure the safety of the Royal Wedding guests - as well as the thousands of Brits who are expected to flood to Windsor to greet Prince Harry and Meghan Markle as newlyweds.
The operation is expected to be Thames Valley Police's largest ever, with the security bill said to be so high as the UK's terror threat is still at severe.
What we know so far…
- Meghan Markle will be walked down the aisle by Prince Charles, Kensington Palace announced today
- Meghan confirmed her dad Thomas Markle would not be at her wedding as he continues to recover from major heart surgery
- Thomas Markle had earlier said he wouldn’t be attending for fear of embarrassing Meghan over staged paparazzi photos
- The 73-year-old suffered a heart scare last week which he has reportedly blamed on an open letter by his son Tom Jr – who has since said he’s “mortified”
- Samantha Markle, Meghan’s half-sister, slammed claims Kensington Palace is supporting their dad in hospital before she was injured in a car crash on Wednesday
- Police have since said they could not find any evidence of the crash
- Doria met with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge a Royal Wedding rehearsal and is expected to sit down for afternoon tea with the Queen today
The £30m security bill is even higher than that of Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding day, with the security then estimated to have cost about £20m.
Armed officers have reportedly been given shoot to kill orders - on high alert after the UK was rocked by a series of terror attacks in the year, including members of the public targeted in sick attacks on London Bridge, Westminster Bridge and Manchester Arena.
WATCH LIVE: Huge crowds in Windsor as the town prepares for the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
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The wedding will be one of the most heavily guarded events in history, with police snipers perched on roof-tops, special-forces troops mingling with crowds and road blocks in place.
As many as 100,000 visitors are expected to flock to the Berkshire town - which has a population of 35,000 - to see Prince Harry marry Meghan Markle on Saturday.
And security specialists will be ready for anything - planned for any possible disruption from protesters to a full-on terrorist attack.
The huge bill, estimated by wedding planning service Bridebook, is said to cover the cost of a "ring of steel" perimeter around the castle grounds as well as regular patrols of armed police and sniffer dogs.
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Everything you need to know about the Royal Wedding as Prince Harry and Meghan Markle get ready for their big day
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Officers have also started using an automatic license plate recognition system to flag any known suspicious vehicles.
Inspector Andy Amor, who has been coordinating the patrols, said: "Our officers have been out and about in the town, on patrol, talking to members of the public and engaging with them.
"These patrols are very much business as usual for us, however, they are all part of our security measures to ensure that everyone coming to Windsor for the royal wedding on Saturday has a safe and happy day.
"Thames Valley Police is experienced at policing large scale events such as these and we want all residents, businesses and visitors to the town to know that we are here, and to approach us if they have any questions at all."
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He added: "I’m really pleased and proud to be involved in policing this event.
"Windsor is a fantastic town in which to live and work, and our officers are very much looking forward to Saturday and focused on making sure that the event is secure and enjoyable for everyone involved."
Other experts have also weighed in over the huge police operation, with security expert Will Geddes telling the that operations would have been planned for months.
He said that cops would be looking for a "variety" of threats, saying: "Police will have mapped the area, established risk profiles, and worked out the modus operandi of high-risk groups."
He added: "The world will be watching — nothing can afford to go wrong."
Rehearsals in Windsor ahead of the Royal Wedding between Prince Harry and Meghan Markle
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While a heavy presence on the streets will help to act as a deterrent, covert operations are expected to include plainclothes police, special forces, the SAS, and the military.
A no-fly zone will also be in force during the service.
The Royal Family already descended on Windsor yesterday for a rehearsal of Saturday's ceremony, with bride-to-be Meghan Markle appearing calm as she sat next to her future husband.
The US actress could be seen smiling next to Prince Harry, despite having just hours earlier revealed that her dad Thomas Markle was not able to attend their big day.
Instead, Thomas Sr will continue to recover in hospital after undergoing heart surgery just days before the Royal Wedding.
He had earlier thrown wedding plans into chaos after it was revealed he had staged paparazzi photographs - with the snaps including shots of him working out and looking at engagement photos of Meghan and Harry.
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Meghan's mum Doria Ragland, 61, is now expected to walk the bride down the aisle at St George's Chapel tomorrow.
The yoga instructor, who flew in from her LA home to London this week, is expected to have tea with the Queen today - having already hit it off with Prince Harry.
Details around the Royal Wedding have slowly been released in the lead up to the May 19 date - just this week it was revealed that Meghan would be having Prince George and Princess Charlotte among her bridesmaids and pageboys.
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