King Charles thanks emergency workers providing ‘ring of steel’ for Queen’s funeral

THE King today thanked emergency workers for providing a "ring of steel" for his mother's funeral on Monday.

The monarch greeted officers at the Metropolitan Police Service Special Operations Room in London ahead of what has been described as Britain's biggest ever security operation.

The 73-year-old was this morning pictured waving at crowds before chatting to coppers involved.

He also shook hands with London Mayor Sadiq Khan and spoke to Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley during the visit.

Hundreds of thousands of mourners have already descended on the capital to pay their respects to the Queen.

But police are bracing for hundreds of thousands more to pour into London to experience the pomp-filled procession next week.

Almost 15,000 cops are taking part from forces across the country.

And today, the King thanked several for their help and support in the "enormous" operation - the biggest in the Met's history.

More than 30 arrests have been made so far in the lead-up to the big day.

This includes Adio Adeshine, who allegedly sexually assaulted two women as they queued to see the Queen's coffin, but does not factor in a man who tried to grab the flag draped over the casket.

Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Stuart Cundy said by Friday morning 34 people had been arrested for a "range of offences", but described this as "relatively few".

The senior officer told reporters the "hugely complex" operation is bigger than the London 2012 Olympics which saw up to 10,000 police officers on duty per day.

It is also on a larger scale than the Platinum Jubilee earlier this year, and will be the greatest global protection operation the force has dealt with.

Hundreds of world leaders, dignitaries and other VIPs are expected to attend the Queen's state funeral on Monday.

It comes as...

• Camilla reveals the royals are ‘exhausted’ but carrying on as ‘stopping would be worse’
• It's confirmed Prince William will lead the Queen's grandchildren at a poignant vigil at her coffin tonight
• Harry will wear his uniform after being granted special permission by the King
• The list of 500 heads of state and dignitaries attending the Queen's funeral is revealed
• Thousands face a 25-hour wait to see the late monarch lying in state
• A man is tackled to the ground after grabbing the flag at Westminster Hall
• Sophie Wessex is reportedly set to take on a number of the Queen's old roles
• A minute-by-minute guide on the Queen's funeral details is released

Specialist teams involved include motorbike escort riders, mounted branch carrying out patrols on horseback, firearms officers, dog teams and the marine unit.

The force has used more than 22 miles (36km) of barriers in central London alone to control crowds and keep key areas secure.