A huge security operation is underway in London this morning for Margaret Thatcher's funeral procession. Around 4,000 police officers will be on duty along the route.

Hundreds of protesters have threatened to turn their backs on the coffin as many are angry at the millions being spent on the former prime minister's ceremonial service. The event is estimated to be costing stg£10 million.

61-year-old Henry Page from Brighton is one of the people protesting about the cost of the funeral.

Her coffin will be taken on a horse-drawn carriage to St. Paul's Cathedral where Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh are among more than 2,000 people expected to attend the service.

Since early this morning spectators from all over the world began to line the streets of London ahead of the funeral procession. These women say they want to pay their respects to the former British Prime Minister.

Members of the British military will line the route. At 11am Falkland War veterans will bear her coffin into the cathedral.

The Queen, Prime Minister David Cameron and his predecessors Gordon Brown, Tony Blair and John Major will attend while Minister Ruairi Quinn will represent the Irish government.

As part of the ceremonial funeral plans Big Ben will fall silent for the first time since the funeral of Winston Churchill.

A number of groups say they'll protest the funeral and those demonstrations and the Boston bombings have prompted police to redouble their efforts to lock-down the city.

Shaun Connolly is Political Correspondent with the Irish Examiner is in London. He spoke to Newstalk Breakfast earlier.

We look ahead to what should be an historic day: