Over the weekend, The Times of London caused a bit of a stir in the U.S. with a report that President Trump "has made clear" that a ceremonial ride through London, from the Royal Mews to Buckingham Palace, in one of Queen Elizabeth II's gilded carriages is "an essential element" of his state visit in October. The article was based on unidentified "officials" and "security sources," who warned that the procession would require an unprecedented "monster" of a security operation. Former President Barack Obama opted for "the Beast," the president's heavily armored limousine, for his visit with the queen in 2011, to spare his hosts such a security nightmare.
"The vehicle which carries the president of the United States is a spectacular vehicle," a source told The Times. "It is designed to withstand a massive attack like a low-level rocket grenade. If he's in that vehicle he is incredibly well protected and on top of that it can travel at enormous speed. If he is in a golden coach being dragged up the Mall by a couple of horses, the risk factor is dramatically increased." The queen's carriage is ostensibly bulletproof, the source said, but "it would not be able to put up much resistance in the face of a rocket propelled grenade or high-powered ammunition. Armor-piercing rounds would make a very bad show of things."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Who is actually running DOGE?TODAY'S BIG QUESTION The White House said in a court filing that Elon Musk isn't the official head of Donald Trump's Department of Government Efficiency task force, raising questions about just who is overseeing DOGE's federal blitzkrieg
-
How does the Kennedy Center work?The Explainer The D.C. institution has become a cultural touchstone. Why did Trump take over?
-
What are reciprocal tariffs?The Explainer And will they fix America's trade deficit?
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster showSpeed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top GrammysSpeed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own roomSpeed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talksSpeed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tourSpeed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada
-
Drake claims illegal boosting, defamationSpeed Read The rapper accused Universal Music of boosting Kendrick Lamar's diss track and said UMG allowed him to be falsely accused of pedophilia
-
'Wicked' and 'Gladiator II' ignite holiday box officeSpeed Read The combination of the two movies revitalized a struggling box office
-
Jussie Smollet conviction overturned on appealSpeed Read The Illinois Supreme Court overturned the actor's conviction on charges of staging a racist and homophobic attack against himself in 2019
