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Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department
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The Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department (RDPD) is a branch of the London Metropolitan Police. It currently contains three separate sub-departments: The Royalty Protection Group (SO14), the Diplomatic Protection Group (SO16) and the Palace of Westminster Division (SO17).
The security, as distinct from the ceremonial bodyguards or military protection, of the Sovereign of the United Kingdom and of members of the British Royal Family is entrusted to the Metropolitan Police. As currently organised, the Assistant Commissioner, Specialist Operations, has overall control. They exercises this through the Deputy Assistant Commissioner, Security and Protection. This DAC controls the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department, Aviation Security (SO18), and Special Branch (SO12). The Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department has primary responsibility for the safety of the Sovereign and the Royal Family and of visiting overseas VIPs and their accredited representatives in the United Kingdom.
History of the RDPDThe Royalty Protection Division was created in 1982 from the Royalty Protection Squad (A1), itself created in the late 1970s from the Public Order Branch (A8) and the police of A District guarding the neighbourhood of Buckingham Palace. In late 1982 police guarding other royal residences in London and police responsible for Windsor Castle were added, along with the Royalty Protection Officers. The head of this part of the Department is the Queen's Police Officer. The Senior Personal Protection Officer to the Prince of Wales is a Superintendent while most Personal Protection Officers are Inspectors or Sergeants. The Royalty Protection Squad, in A Department, was based at Cannon Row police station under the Queen's Police Officer. It was responsible for the protection of The Queen at public functions at Buckingham Palace, and all times when she was outside the Palace. The Queen's Police Officer also supervised the personal protection of all members of the Royal Family, although Royalty Protection Officers were not in the squad. The Queen's Police Officer commanded the police guarding the interior of the Palace and its grounds, through the Staff Officer.
The Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department was created on 1 September 1983 on the merger of the Royalty Protection Department and the Diplomatic Protection Group (DPG). Initially in A (Administration) Department, since 1985 it has been in the Specialist Operations Department. It was organised into the Royalty Protection Division (SO14), Royal Palaces Division (SO15), and Diplomatic Protection Group (SO16). It assumed responsibility for the security of the Palace of Westminster, where Parliament sits, in 1991 - this is policed by the Palace of Westminster Division (SO17). SO15 joined SO14 in 1995, and the Department is now divided into SO14(1) (static armed protection), SO14(2) (armed personal protection), and the Special Escort Group (SEG).
As of March 2007, the new head of the Department will be Deputy Assistant Commissioner Cressida Dick, who was promoted to this rank with some controversy, notably surrounding the shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes in July 2005. This promotion was confirmed by the Metropolitan Police Authority's Chairman, Len Duvall, on February 19, 2007.
The current head of the Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department is Commander the Earl of Rosslyn (known professionally as "Peter Loughborough"), who was appointed in 2003 and is the only peer in the United Kingdom who is a serving policeman.
The current head of Royalty Protection (SO14) is Chief Superintendent Stephen Grainger. One recent predecessor was Chief Superintendent James Beaton, GC CVO, who held office 1983-92. He received the George Cross for protecting Princess Anne against a crazed attacker in 1974.
The Palace of Holyroodhouse and Balmoral Castle in Scotland are the responsibility of the Department when they are in royal use, and the Department also liaises closely with the Chief Constables responsible for any royal residence outside London.
The division typically use marked, red-coloured, V8 powered BMW 5-series cars.
Earlier Royal and Diplomatic protectionThe Queen's Police Officer was the descendant of the police first appointed for royal security in 1792. In that year Bow Street Runners, who were detectives appointed by the Magistrates of Bow Street court, were assigned to provide plain-clothes protection. In 1838 they were replaced by an Inspector of Police of the newly created Metropolitan Police, who was the direct ancestor of the Royalty Protection Squad. Special Branch took over some aspects of the role in 1883, but was largely superseded before the Second World War.
The Public Order Branch (A8) was formerly also responsible for royal security, particularly during ceremonial events, as was the Special Patrol Group (A9).
Officer in Charge, Royalty and Diplomatic Protection Department
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