Hidden dragons

On a hot London morning, I set out with two objectives: to view the King, and to look at an apartment building.

- Charlotte Grimshaw

I achieved the first with surprising ease. It was the King’s birthday and he was due to process down The Mall. As expected, the crowds were so densely packed it was impossible to get near, and so, like a determined stalker, I began looking for a weak point.

As I ventured along a back road lined with van loads of armed police, I murmured, “Surely they’re going to tell us to eff off?” But the police just went on languidly tinkering with their weapons, and soon the road led to steps on to The Mall, from which we watched the royals in their open carriages trundle below.

With neither bag search nor scrutiny, we’d achieved close proximity, height and clear line of sight. It really brought home the degree to which the British royals grind through their glad-handing without excessive security. It must take a certain amount of nerve, I thought, watching the Princess of Wales roll by with her children.