Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall have made an unannounced visit to Manchester Area, one month on from the terrorist attack that killed 22 people and injured 119 more following an Ariana Grande concert.
Upon arrival, the royal couple paused in silence as they observed the exact spot where the suicide bomb was detonated — the floor now deeply pockmarked from the homemade device.
The royal couple stood in the exact spot where the suicide bomb was detonated.
They also spoke with Manchester Arena staff who were first on the scene in the aftermath of the atrocity on May 22.
Photos taken of the emotional visit are the first look inside the arena since the tragedy unfolded.
Charles, 68, and Camilla, 69, then met with Manchester Arena staff who were first on the scene in the aftermath of the atrocity on May 22.
“It is important to talk to each other afterwards. I think you are all incredible,” Camilla told staff. “It must have been incredibly difficult for you. People have got a lot to thank you for. You did a fantastic job, you should be proud of yourselves.”
One staffer told the Duchess of the moment she watched the bomb explode while watching the arena on a laptop in the medical control room.
“Nobody knew what was going to happen next. If there was another bomb,” a medic explained.
“You can prepare on paper but…”
“We heard the bang and saw the smoke. We knew where we needed to go and head to where it came from. We knew deep down what had happened immediately.”
The royal duo then headed to Manchester’s town hall where they shared in a discussion with community leaders and young people about the impact of the attack.
The roundtable discussion, which lasted upwards of ten minutes, was followed by a reception designed to thank all those who worked tirelessly to help injured and dying members of the public.
“No one should have to suffer the losses which you have endured; yet no-one, surely, could have endured them with greater fortitude,” Charles said. “In the aftermath, we have watched with mounting admiration as those of all faiths and none have refused bitterness, and embraced belonging.”
He added: “In all this, Manchester is an example to the world.”
Charles and Camilla attended a roundtable discussion with community leaders and young people at Manchester’s town hall.
They also had the opportunity to speak with attendees of the event in smaller groupings.
Charles went on to call Manchester “an example to the world” in an emotional speech.
Charles and Camilla’s appearance follows Queen Elizabeth II’s surprise visit to young victims of the Manchester attack on May 25.
Her majesty, 91, arrived mid-morning to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital where 14 young people were being treated at the time, including five in critical care.
The monarch talked to a number of parents and their children during her visit, including 14-year-old Evie Mills – who had received the concert tickets as a birthday present.
“It’s dreadful. Very wicked. To target that sort of thing,” she told the teenager.
She added that “everyone is united” following the attack.
The Queen also spoke with staff at the facility who rallied in the aftermath of the atrocity, making sure to shake hands and exchange words with many.
“The awful thing was that everyone was so young. The age of them,” she told one staffer.
Millie, who sustained leg injuries from flying shrapnel, wore an Ariana Grande t-shirt at the time of the royal visit.
Her Majesty also made sure to speak with staff at the facility, praising them for their tireless efforts.
The Queen chose to wear a vivid blue coat and coordinating tangerine hat for the important visit.
Earlier, the Queen issued a statement expressing her “deepest sympathy” for the victims of the Manchester terrorist attack, an explosion that killed 22 people and injured more than one hundred others.
“The whole nation has been shocked by the death and injury in Manchester last night of so many people, adults and children, who had just been enjoying a concert,” the statement published on the Royal Family’s official website read.
“I know I speak for everyone in expressing my deepest sympathy to all who have been affected by this dreadful event and especially to the families and friends of those who have died or were injured.”
She went on to praise emergency services and the people of Manchester for the way in which they responded to the horrific incident, condemning the attack as an “act of barbarity.”
