Home » Blogs » A Look at British Royal Wedding Security

A Look at British Royal Wedding Security

John Boch - comments No comments

The Royal Wedding this morning went off without a hitch. Of course, it carried with it an increased risk of a terror attack. In the end, thanks to well-trained and -armed men and women, it proved a safe and enjoyable time for participants and spectators alike.

A Look at Security At the Royal Wedding

The Brits, known for their unarmed police, took no chances with the event. After all, people around the world tuned in to watch Harry and Meghan tie the knot. Or whatever they call it when royalty does it. Even before the event, news reports said the Brits reportedly spent 30 million pounds on keeping everyone safe during the event.

Unarmed Bobbies do an admirable job keeping the peace in Great Britain. Mostly. However, deep down, the Brits know that harsh words and commands to STOP accomplish little against hard cases. They understand that the only thing that stops bad people with evil in their hearts is a good guy with a gun. So armed good guys were out, patrolling in force. And they carried more than sidearms.

courtesy businessinsider.com and Getty

Note the “Thin Blue Line” patch on this policeman’s chest.  Shame on him for leaving his dust cover open.  Pat Rogers, RIP, would not approve. Given how short-barrelled AR platform guns seemed common this year, one wonders if they had .300 Blackout in those mags or 5.56 rounds.

A Look at Security At the Royal Wedding

Ahead of time, armed police and military folks permeated a security cordon around every aspect of the event. And along the route from the chapel to Windsor Castle, they kept a close eye out for threats from the windows and rooftops lining the route. And oh yes, the Brits must have bought a lot of American Magpul PMAGs.

A Look at Security At the Royal Wedding

American-made EOTech sights seemed pretty standard on the rifles as well. Meanwhile, Austrian GLOCKs rode in their holsters. Again, another open dust cover. Tsk, tsk.

A Look at Security At the Royal Wedding

Thigh rigs seemed popular, too. Understandable, considering their police favor the big exterior vests as opposed to concealable armor.

A Look at Security At the Royal Wedding

Some people think that armed security dampens the fun, but that’s not true. Armed security just keeps everyone safe as they have fun. Looking closer, note that old MP5 mounted with an EOTech. While the cheek weld must be tough on that, the MP5 isn’t a long-range tool. So, which flavor do the Brits prefer in their HKs…115-grainers, 124s or 147s?

A Look at Security At the Royal Wedding

Those probably aren’t golf clubs in that copper’s case. Note the CAT tourniquet clipped for easy deployment on the rearmost officer’s bag. Again, thigh rigs seemed very popular.

A Look at Security At the Royal Wedding

Meanwhile, these men also brought the tools necessary to reach out and touch bad people.

A Look at Security At the Royal Wedding

Apparently their bomb-sniffing K-9s don’t merit firearms.

A Look at Security At the Royal Wedding

In a society accustomed to seldom seeing firearms in person, this event featured a lot of firepower. At the same time, people didn’t seem the least bit anxious with all the armed police on display. Even ones that can’t close their dust covers on their ARs.

In the end, all the work paid off handsomely. Prince Harry and now-Princess Meghan in the carriage following the wedding ceremony.

A Look at Security At the Royal Wedding

Here’s to happily ever after!

0 thoughts on “A Look at British Royal Wedding Security”

  1. Messy divorce within 10 years.

    But the British people can only dream of such security. 30 million pounds for a band of inbred twats who serve no purpose, while rape gangs plague pretty much all major cities.

    The gov is spitting into the face of the people.

    Reply
    • The bulk of Britain’s civilized 64 million people disagree with you. They consider the money well spent and cheering crowds of tens of thousands prove it beyond all doubt.

      Reply
      • The bulk of Britain’s 64 million people must have been dissatisfied with the overall state of things actually, considering they voted to leave the EU in hopes to change said state of things.

        Reply
      • You complain about the expense as if the UK Royal family were spending someone else’s money. That is a fallacy of epic scale! The Queen owns much of the City of London, a significant amount of land throughout Britain, Scotland, and Wales. The rents collected on JUST the London properties, exceed the gross national product of 90% of the planets countries. The Royal family DONATES well over 85% of all rents to the UK treasury, and operates on a tiny portion of the net proceeds.

        Whether you like a monarchy or not is immaterial. The only thing that counts is that the Windsor’s – as a family – personally OWN a lot of property and the rents provide a significant portion of the UK national budget because the Royal Family CHOOSES to give their own money to the treasury – – – NOT the other way around!

        Reply
      • Just proves there’s one born every minute…..the Sheeple and lowinfomofos rejoicing.
        Security for thee, but not for me….

        Reply
    • Harry is a chump to marry a 36 year old divorced woman. He is a prince at the peak of his SMV for Pete’s sake. He should have married a 20 year old virgin instead of a hand-me-down wife.

      On the other hand, Meghan has gone from being a third rate celebrity to a princess (and first rate celebrity). Good for her, I guess. I don’t think this marriage will last.

      Reply
      • Why would Harry (or anyone else) want a 20 year old virgin, as opposed to a real woman who knows what that thing is for and enjoys using it?

        Reply
        • I think that Harry’s dad went the 20 year old virgin route. She was a fine looking woman but dad and mom both messed that deal up. Mom fell victim to a drunk Frenchman or MI-5 or the shape shifting lizard people or whatever conspiracy theory is popular this week. Dad ended up with that hag Camilla.

          Let Harry do what he wants. He’ll never be king unless somebody nukes Windsor Castle when he’s out of town. He just wants to spend his millions, drink a beer or three and make babies with the lovely (if a little skinny) Duchess.

          Reply
        • I think that Harry (and, for what it’s worth, Chelsea Clinton) long ago figured out that his parents’ marriage had nothing to do with the old fashioned notions of romantic love. I’m fairly certain that an American woman didn’t fall into any of his society’s ideas of a ‘proper’ wife, so hopefully it actually is “I want to spend the rest of my life with person, have babies, grow old, etc” romantic love.

          Reply
      • On an island overrun with moppsslem jihadis its doubtful there are virgins over the age of 12yr. Or donkeys/sheep virgins.

        Reply
  2. “Unarmed Bobbies do an admirable job keeping the peace in Great Britain” is that why violent crime in Britain is the highest in Europe and higher than the USA per capita.

    Reply
    • Do police/popo “keep the peace” anywhere. “Peace” being pretty much the absence of WAR. do police even deter crime or do they just most show up later to fill out paperwork documenting what happened. Then PERHAPS find someone to pin the crime on.

      You want love get a dog. You want “peace” (deter crime in your vicinity it is up to YOU (get appropriate tools).

      Reply
      • I love and respect all police officers, but the old saying holds true (No fault of theirs) “When seconds count, the police are minutes away.” Make sure you are always medically prepared with the two doctors at hoe…Dr. Smith and Dr. Wesson.

        Reply
    • Seems like the Don Johnson Stubble Trimmer is now required kit for armed British LEOs.

      Times have changed 😉

      Reply
  3. “Apparently their bomb-sniffing K-9s don’t merit firearms.”

    When asked, the dogs said they preferred doggie treats…

    Reply
    • My dog loves the smell of gun oil and pays attention to the gun shooting scenes on TV. He’d love a gun.

      Unfortunately I found him sniffing around a gun magazine open to an article extolling the .40S&W. Son of a … Bad dog!

      Reply
  4. Meh…they want to spend oodles of pounds I care not. Harry’s bride already made him quit hunting. Too bad as he WAS a certifiable badazz in Afghanistan.

    Reply
    • Really?

      He still has the mandatory “operator” scraggly ass beard, is going bald and likely has $200 sunglasses.

      Reply
  5. Being that their citizens are disarmed – legally, publically, disarmed, that is – what’s their bobby-based protection protocol for proles weddoings?

    None, you say?

    The option to arm yourself – for when there’s no photo-op in them protecting you.

    Reply
  6. Harry will do whatever and whoever he wants, whenever he wants. And who cares if she is black, brown or green?

    Reply
  7. ok first it took over the TV since 0300 this morning, now it takes over TTAG, Jesus at this rate I better be able to order a live feed of the honeymoon suite on pay per view.

    Reply
  8. Well, in the UK they seem to have settled on the notion that only The Designated Authoritah has the wisdom to know when to use force (or when you need a doctor, or which crimes should be prosecuted … and, what merits protection or not, like a Royal wedding vs. … pretty much everything else.)

    The US, in contrast, is designed on the ethic that people own their own lives; and designed assuming that most have the wisdom to employ their own skills, to their own ends, most of the time.

    Government’s job is to keep the stupid proles off our backs, so we can do what we like. Almost as if we were royalty, ourselves.

    Reply
  9. Nations of cattle and keepers are a poor plan: no matter how high-sounding their “principles”, farms aren’t run for the benefit of the cattle.

    Reply
  10. I spend a lot of time (like 70-90 days per year) in England for work. Armed police are far more common than their unarmed counterparts these days. Even the unarmed guys have a quick access weapons locker in their cars. Major targets like Heathrow airport are guarded by police kitted out exactly like the ones in these photos. The UK police seem to have figured out that harsh language won’t stop an attacker armed with a knife.

    Reply
  11. Dust covers? Oh, please. Notwithstanding Pat’s exhortations, those guns are probably downloaded immediately upon the end of the exercise. Probably not even chambered. Regardless, they’re seeing the light of day for four to six hours, only to be bagged/cased for the next show of force in another six months or so. I don’t think exposure to the elements during this particular exercise was likely to be malfunction-inducing under the circumstances there today.

    Thigh rigs. I don’t care how bulky their body armor is, the tendency to use “thigh rigs” that ride down just above the knee are silly. This I know. Painfully. A low-ride belt loop mount is just fine for those equipped with bulky vests. Try actually running down the block at full-tilt with one of those knee rigs. Or roll around in the dirt with a meth-head who thinks he’s Superman. Sure, they’re cool in pics and movies. Real life? Not so much.

    Reply
  12. Do they not sling up their AR’s? It appears to me that they are literally walking around holding the pistol grip and VFG. I cannot imagine that’s a good way to transport/deploy that rifle if needed.

    Reply
    • Thigh rigs are great in cars.
      British have a history of units not using slings at times. If they have issued a cop with a rifle it is because he is highly likely to use it. So you want it ready.
      Also seen on another site. .50 caliber sniper rifle.

      Reply
  13. But I have been repeatedly told that these scarry looking black guns are only good for killing as many people in as short time as possible. Now you are saying they are actually being used for protection? Gun grabbers lied to me?

    Reply

Leave a Comment