H.R.H. The Princess Anne & Captain Mark Phillips. Metropolitan Police Operation Order, 1973

The Marriage of Her Royal highness The Princess Anne with Captain Mark Phillips. Wednesday, 14 November 1973. Operation Order 39/73. No printing details but Metropolitan Police, 11 x 7½ ins.

70pp including a single page map. Original blue printed paper wrappers and in generally clean condition, a page title Briefing Notes has manuscript notes and there are some positional markings on the map. The very detailed orders give a fascinating insight into the extremely complicated preparations necessary for such a royal event. Individual officers in charge of different aspects and areas are named and strengths and ranks of officers involved with their originating units are noted throughout. although there are no indications of the print run this would have been a very sensitive document in view of the mass of sensitive detail in it. A loosely inserted four page folio duplicated movement note is included. This itemises routes and details of the Royal Family’s travel and also lists the Foreign Royalty, whose vehicles will bear red crowns on the windscreens and their progress is to be facilitated, in accordance with Appendix ‘E’ of Operation Order 39/73.  apr2/4