Thames Valley Police expands presence ahead of committal ceremony

A COMMITTAL ceremony for the Queen will take place in Windsor following her funeral in London.

A public holiday has been declared for Monday, September 19, to allow the nation to pay their respects to our monarch.

The funeral will take place at 11am at Westminster Abbey, and will be the first state funeral since the death of Sir Winston Church in 1965.

Afterwards, the Royal Family will head to Windsor Castle’s St George’s Chapel for the committal. The Queen will then be buried in the grounds along with former monarchs.

Thames Valley Police said that in the days leading up to the ceremony, it is expected that large numbers of people will come to the town to pay their respects and leave floral tributes at Cambridge Gate on the Long Walk.

There is also an online book of condolences where people can pay tribute to Her late Majesty if they wish to do so.

During this period of national mourning, people in and around Windsor will see an increased police presence and a broad range of security measures in place in the town.

Many of these measures are visible, including its Mounted Section, armed officers, street searches involving our dog unit, an extensive network of Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) technology and Close Circuit Television (CCTV).

In addition to this there are a large

number of security measures in place which people will not be able to see.

Thames Valley Police Assistant Chief Constable Tim De Meyer, strategic commander for the force’s response to Her late Majesty’s death, said: “During this very sad time we understand that a lot of people will want to come to Windsor to pay their respects to Her late Majesty, especially as we get closer to the day of her funeral and committal ceremony.

“Thames Valley Police has a long history of policing substantial royal events, including in recent years the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex and the funeral of His late Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh.

“Visitors to Windsor will see a larger police presence than normal in the town as we work to ensure that everyone can pay their respects safely and a variety of security measures are in place.

“If you have any questions or concerns, please talk to officers in Windsor who will endeavour to help you as much as possible.

“Our thoughts remain with the Royal Family.”