Police spotters on top of Cardiff buildings keeping…

Police spotters on top of Cardiff buildings keeping eye on crowds during King Charles visit

All eyes are on Cardiff today as Wales' capital welcomes the new King. It's the first time King Charles III and Camilla, Queen Consort, have visited Wales in their new roles and preparations for their visits to Llandaff Cathedral, the Senedd and Cardiff Castle have been taking place all week.

With thousands of well-wishers gathering across the city, and some anti-monarchist protesters expected to meet outside Cardiff Castle this afternoon, police officers have been stationed throughout the city keeping an eye on things.

Among their locations, officers have been spotted on top of some of Cardiff's most significant - and tallest - buildings scouting the crowds to help keep people safe. Photos show a pair of officers on a balcony in front of the clock on the Pierhead Building, part of the Senedd estate, at Cardiff Bay and using binoculars to watch crowds from the roof of city buildings.

His Majesty the King, the Queen Consort and their entourage arrived in the capital by helicopter at around 10.40am on Friday morning. So far today, they have attended a service of prayer and reflection at Llandaff Cathedral and have now moved on to the Welsh Parliament to meet members of the Senedd.

Later, they will travel to Cardiff Castle where King Charles will hold a private audience with Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford and the presiding officer, before attending a reception hosted by the Welsh Government. You can follow all the latest updates on the King's first visit to Wales on our live blog here.

Police spotters have been seen on top of several city buildings (John Myers)

Officers outside Atradius insurance company at Capital Waterside in Cardiff Bay (John Myers)

A police officer uses binoculars to survey the scene below (John Myers)

Around 2,000 people will be able to gather inside the walls of the castle to see King Charles and the Queen Consort take part in their final engagement of the day. Exact timings for the visit to the castle have not been released but WalesOnline understands the castle grounds opened to the queuing public at around 11.30am. Our reporter John Jones began queuing on Thursday evening to ensure he had a spot inside.

Entry to the castle grounds is on a first-come first-served basis and people are asked to avoid bringing large and non-essential bags which will require searching and could slow down entry. People are also not allowed to bring picnics, chairs, umbrellas, glass bottles and cans. Security staff are located at the gates, checking the bags of people entering the castle grounds.

Police have been stationed on a balcony in front of the clock on the Pierhead Building in the Senedd (John Myers)

The Pierhead building is one of the tallest in Cardiff Bay, so officers have a good vantage point to watch the crowds (John Myers)

The Welsh First Minister has said that any protests will be a "footnote" to the main proceedings. Speaking earlier in the week, Mark Drakeford said: "People have a legitimate right to protest and there are a variety of views." However, he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that this was not the week that such objections and debate needs to be discussed. "But people have that right and I think it will be exercised with restraint and it will be a footnote to the dominant feelings of the day."