Kate Middleton and Prince William to Honor Victims of 2017 Manchester Arena Bombing

Simon Perry
·2 min read
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge tour the facilities during a visit at the London headquarters of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge tour the facilities during a visit at the London headquarters of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)

Jeff Spicer/Getty Images Prince William and Kate Middleton

Kate Middleton and Prince William are honoring the victims of the terrorist attack at Manchester Arena in the U.K. during an Ariana Grande concert five years ago.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will head to Manchester next week to join in the official opening of the memorial to the people who were killed or injured in the suicide bombing.

Twenty-two people, many of whom were young fans, were killed and hundreds more injured when a terrorist exploded a bomb in the concourse outside the theater where Ariana Grande's concert took place on May 22, 2017.

The royals will attend a service at the Glade of Light memorial, which depicts a white marble halo and bears the names of those killed. It is situated alongside the city's cathedral.

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge tour the facilities during a visit at the London headquarters of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)
Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge tour the facilities during a visit at the London headquarters of the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)

Jeff Spicer/Getty Images Prince William and Kate Middleton

William is set to make a short speech at the memorial and Kate will lay flowers in honor of. the victims. They will then join a private reception inside Manchester Cathedral to meet with some of the bereaved families and the members of the emergency services who were involved in the aftermath of the atrocity.

William traveled to Manchester following the attack in 2017 to talk to the community and attend a service of commemoration at the cathedral. Queen Elizabeth also visited a few days after the bombing, speaking with some of the young victims in their hospital beds and condemning the barbaric act as "very wicked."

Prince William, Duke of Cambridge and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge during a visit to Daystar Evangelical Church on March 26, 2022 in Great Abaco, Bahamas. Abaco was dramatically hit by Hurricane Dorian, It damaged 75% of homes across the chain of islands and resulted in tragic loss of life. During their visit to the Church they will hear first-hand what it was like to be on the island at the point the hurricane hit, and how people have come together to support each other during an incredibly difficult time. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are visiting Belize, Jamaica and The Bahamas on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen on the occasion of the Platinum Jubilee. The 8 day tour takes place between Saturday 19th March and Saturday 26th March and is their first joint official overseas tour since the onset of COVID-19 in 2020.

Chris Jackson/Getty Prince William and Kate Middleton

The Glade of Light, which was chosen following an international competition, has been open to the public since January. In addition to the names of the victims set in bronze on the halo design, personalized memory capsules containing mementos provided by loved ones have been embedded within the stone. Designed to be a living memorial, the Glade of Light also provides tranquil garden space for remembrance and reflection.

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Terrorist Salman Abedi set off the bomb and died at the scene. His brother Hashem Abedi was jailed in August 2020 for at least 55 years for his part in helping plan and carry out the deadly attack.

An inquiry is still underway to examine the circumstances leading up to the bombing.

Following the terror attack, Ariana Grande postponed the dates of her tour to pay respect to the victims. Then, 12 days later, she returned to the U.K. to perform in the star-studded One Love Manchester benefit concert.