All Met Police’s 34,000 officers could have to repledge allegiance to King Charles under plans considered by new Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley – who says he found it ‘very powerful’ when he did it this week
- Sir Mark Rowley is asking Met Police officers if they want to reswear their oath
- Sir Mark had to swear allegiance after he was appointed Met Commissioner
- He said he found it ‘very powerful’ to be sworn back into the police on Monday
- The 33,843 officers would have to swear allegiance in front of a Magistrate
- Full coverage: Click here to see all our coverage of the Queen’s passing
Scotland Yard’s new Commissioner is consulting officers over a proposal to make every constable swear allegiance to King Charles III.
Under UK law, all serving police officers must take the oath in which they swear to truly serve the monarch with ‘fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality’.
There is no requirement for existing officers, who swore allegiance to the Queen, to retake the oath because it passes to the heir in the event of death.
But Sir Mark Rowley has launched an internal survey to decide whether his 33,843 officers should reswear their oath to the new King.
New Met Police Commissioner, Sir Mark Rowley, pictured, who started his new job on Monday, said he found the experience of reswearing the oath of allegiance as ‘very powerful’. He now wants to know if the 34,500 other officers in the Met would like to do so themselves
He asked for officers’ feedback on the proposal during a staff Q&A a day later
The Commissioner, who is embarking on a period of major reform at the Met, told rank and file officers that he had found it ‘very powerful’ when he was sworn back into office as he took the helm at Britain’s biggest police force on Monday.
He asked for officers’ feedback on the proposal during a staff Q&A a day later.
The former national head of counter terrorism became the first chief officer to swear allegiance to the King after previously retiring from policing to spend four years in the private sector.
Police must swear their oath in front of a magistrate.
They either attend court for a ceremony, or a magistrate may travel to police premises to swear in large numbers of officers.
But the need for the symbolic gesture will be questioned by some at a time when the courts backlog has now reached 60,000 cases.
Speaking after his attestation on Monday, Sir Mark said: ‘I join the nation in sorrow at the death of Her late Majesty The Queen and share my condolences with His Majesty The King and The Royal Family.
‘Her late Majesty’s unstinting public service, stoicism in times of turbulence and dedication to the people she served has shaped our nation immensely.
‘As your new Commissioner, I have sworn an oath to serve with fairness, integrity, diligence and impartiality.’
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