Mostly, though, the great huddled masses don’t seem to give a toss. It’s become a crucial tool in criminal investigations, for all the condemnation of Big Brother ogling by civil rights organizations. It’s estimated that any individual can be captured on CCTV around 70 times a day. The United Kingdom is already awash in closed circuit surveillance, upwards of 7,400,000 cameras keeping a beady eye on the populace. Nor has Charles ever been particularly cowed by hecklers and belligerents, a constituency of those crazed by the Crown. Not constitutionally the sovereign’s doing, however. Plenty of backlash and aggro in the last few days over the heightened criminalizing of “peaceful” protests - intimidatory! - which now carry up to a 12-month jail sentence, clearly aimed at the monarchy abominators who might attempt to rattle events this weekend and given royal assent Tuesday by King Charles.

But creating a scene, blocking roads and hollering about stroppy police tactics is the point, right?

All they needed to do to avoid getting cuffed was keep their demo on the pavement and off the street. Sixteen climate activists were promptly arrested on Wednesday afternoon at Parliament Square for defying newly expanded police powers rushed into law this week. The usual suspects: “Republic,” assembling under the “Not My King” banner, Extinction Rebellion, Liberty and Just Stop Oil, with their annoying habit of gluing themselves to priceless museum art. Probably somewhere in this splendid capital, the disrupters were planning their anti-monarchist shenanigans as well. Operation Golden Orb, with upwards of 5,000 troops marching in full ceremonial regalia and the Diamond Jubilee State Coach and Gold State Coach clattering down The Mall from Buckingham Palace to Westminster Abbey.Īlthough surely for this occasion we - not as in the royal “we” - can refer to the processional route as Coronation Street.Īs part of the mustering, some Underground commuters got a particularly amusing gander at the Household Division regiments, in their tall bearskin headgear - made from the fur of Canadian black bears - riding the tube and tramping through Waterloo Station: Now arriving on Platform One … LONDON-If one stayed up till the wee hours, one could have watched a belt-and-braces dress rehearsal of the pomp and pageantry that will be on display Saturday.

The monster in his eyes