LONDON--It's not the type of welcome most wedding guests expect before they get into church �" background checks, ID verification and a security sweep. But then again, Prince William and Kate Middleton's wedding on Friday is no ordinary affair. Britain hasn't seen a royal wedding of this size since Prince Charles married Diana in 1981 �" there were actually 200 more police on duty for that wedding, which had a longer procession route and a guest list of some 3,500 people, including foreign royals and heads of state. Friday's wedding will offer much of the same pomp and circumstance with its 1,900 invited guests, but it also presents a modern security nightmare for the 5,000 U.K. police officers on duty. Police will be on the look-out for Irish dissident terrorists, Muslim extremists, anti-monarchists and protesters. Scotland Yard Police Commander Christine Jones said Wednesday there has been no new terror threat but considerable Internet chatter. "Our operation has been meticulously planned, and we have thought through and planned for a huge range of contingencies," she said. Anxious crowds wrapped in Union Jack flags watched late Wednesday afternoon as a convoy of cars arrived at Westminster Abbey. Seconds after, the soon-to-be royal couple arrived at the cathedral for a final wedding rehearsal. Middleton's parents and Prince Harry, the best man, also attended, St. James Palace said.
