Why did the guests at Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral have to go by bus?
Ten thousand security agents from the United Kingdom and the private security of all the delegations will watch every street and corner so that nothing happens during the state funeral.
A gray morning welcomed guests to Queen Elizabeth II’s funeral on Monday morning in London.
An international and historical event brings together over two thousand personalities, from royal houses to heads of state and presidents of government. The funeral will be broadcast to almost every corner of the planet through television and social networks.
To protect members of royal houses and leaders from around the world, London has been shielded. Such high-level protection is necessary as it is not a regular event that so many world leaders and public figures gather in one place.
Security for all delegations
To ensure the security of all those in attendance, the Truss government has urged visitors to avoid private transport to London, such as private planes, and has recommended that they use commercial flights. This runs against many of the security protocols followed by governments all over the world and has been met with some resistance.
In addition, special delegations have been organized so that the leaders travel by bus to Westminster Abbey, where they will all meet to say goodbye to the Queen. This means that there were no private cars to transport foreign dignitaries.
A measure that was not liked by all the delegations, especially that of the United States, due to the lack of security for Joe and Jill Biden, since the presidential car is bulletproof and is always accompanied by armed escorts on all four sides. Same security measures that he took at the NATO Summit in Madrid when he traveled with his official car to all events, nicknamed ‘The Beast.’ In the end, the White House was allowed to use their own transport, arriving before other delegations so as not to disrupt the flow of traffic.
The Japanese delegation did not fully agree with the joint measures either, since they believe that they would not sufficiently protect Emperor Naruhito nor his wife, who will accompany him to the funeral. Since the assassination of Shinzo Abe, security measures have been enhanced for all high-profile figures.
Throughout the event, more than 10,000 security agents from the United Kingdom, plus those traveling with delegations, will be on watch to ensure that nothing disturbs the funeral processions.