Thatcher Funeral: Practice Run Of Procession

A full military rehearsal for Baroness Thatcher's funeral procession has taken place in the early hours of this morning.

Timed to last 19 minutes, Wednesday's ceremonial service will involve more than 700 serving Armed Forces personnel and see Lady Thatcher's coffin carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage from St Clement Danes, the church of the Royal Air Force, down the Strand.

Led by the Band of the Royal Marines, the solemn procession will then slowly travel along Fleet Street towards St Paul's where around 2,000 mourners are expected to attend the service.

Major Andrew Chatburn, the man in charge of choreographing the parade, said the rehearsal "went very well" and claimed it was "vitally important" to stage a trial.

He said the atmosphere of the thousands of people expected to line the streets could obviously not be replicated, but added those involved, including the horses, were used to big occasions with large crowds.

"We'll have a debriefing and we'll take the points from that. We'll address whatever we have to address. If it's additional rehearsals in barracks we'll conduct those rehearsals and we'll get it right on the day," he added.

The band played the funeral marches of Chopin, Beethoven and Mendelssohn as it made its way along the deserted streets.

The military and police wore their working dress and high visibility clothes respectively, but will be in ceremonial uniform on the day.

The pensioners from Royal Hospital Chelsea did not take part in the trial due to the early start, but they will line the west steps of St Paul's for the real event.

The coffin carried on a horse-drawn gun carriage

Amid fears protests could mar the funeral, there was also a large police presence on the streets during the practice run.

The Met has urged groups to let them know what they are planning, and in some cases they have reportedly come to an agreement to allow protesters to turn their backs on the coffin.

Sky's events commentator Alastair Bruce, who watched the rehearsal, said Lady Thatcher "would have wanted to see democracy in action" and that organisers were hoping the protests would not offend mourners or affect the procession.

"The ceremonial has been worked on very hard by the armed forces, and they are doing their very best to represent the United Kingdom. They will want to deliver that duty without interruption," he said.

Some 700 serving members of the Armed Forces took part in the trial run

Lady Thatcher said she did not want a state funeral, but she has been given the next highest honour: a ceremonial funeral with full military honours tailored to her.

With all the the pageantry of a state funeral, it is set to be the largest in Britain since the Queen Mother's.

Downing Street has refused to give details about the cost until after the ceremony but it is expected to run into several million pounds.

The rehearsal came after a poll by ComRes found that only 25% of people think the event should be funded form the public purse and that 60% are against the idea.

But the Government has defended the plans for a lavish ceremonial service.

Tory Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude, one of the organisers, told Sky News the ceremony had to be a "fitting event for a very great lady" and argued that the involvement of the armed forces was "not over the top in any way".

George Galloway will attempt to block PMQs delay so MPs can attend funeral

Meanwhile, Respect MP George Galloway will later attempt to scupper plans to cancel Wednesday's Prime Minister's Questions so that MPs can attend the funeral.

He has said he will try to block a Government motion dropping Commons questions and delaying the start of business to 2.30pm, after the funeral has taken place.

Ministers had hoped the motion, tabled by the Leader of the House Andrew Lansley, would go through "on the nod" at the end of Commons business.

On Sunday night police charged a series of demonstrators at London's Trafalgar Square who were protesting against Baroness Thatcher's legacy and who marked her death with a party.

Scotland Yard said nine suspects had been charged with various offences including assaulting police, affray and drunk and disorderly, and would appear at Westminster Magistrates' Court on various dates in the next few weeks.

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