Breach of the peace

How should the police respond to any disturbances tomorrow?

This blog — or, at least, its author — is a supporter of the King. I had the privilege of meeting him privately when he was Prince of Wales and, while certainly not agreeing with everything he has said and done in the past, I offer him my loyalty, sympathy and respect.

I know that there are others who do not wish the United Kingdom to remain a constitutional monarchy and some who think that their own causes should take priority over the gratitude and honour that millions will wish to show tomorrow for the late Queen.

The question for the police — and, ultimately, for the courts — is how to balance the rights of those millions against the rights of others who choose to mount protests of various kinds.

The King and his siblings walk behind their mother’s coffin

Her late Majesty’s funeral, with its unprecedented worldwide television audience, must offer a tempting target for protestors — as, I fear, it does for terrorists. What does the law say about disturbances? And how should the police respond?