Operation Tower of London: Secret plans to protect crown jewels during King Charles coronation revealed

The plans, dubbed ‘Operation Tower of London’ involve thousands of police officers, elite teams of armed guards, snipers and the military. During the coronation, dozens of undercover officers will also mix with the crowds as King Charles and Queen Camilla travel to and from Buckingham Palace.

A royal source told The Mirror: “The operation is huge, certainly in a similar scale to that of the funeral of the Queen, the largest event in a generation. Every available arm of the police and security services has been dispatched.

“The exercise turns the Abbey into Operation Tower of London, focussing on maximum security and maximum lockdown.”

Operation Tower of London is headed by a joint task force consisting of a Met Police Gold Commander and MI5. In the lead up to the coronation, King Charles and Queen Camilla have been rehearsing with replicas of the jewelled crowns, staffs and swords, created ahead of King George VI’s coronation in 1937.

The coronation of King Charles III will take place on Saturday, May 6. It will be followed by a special concert at Windsor Castle on May 7 and a bank holiday on May 8.