The Cambridges Honored the Victims of the Manchester Attack

The Duke And Duchess Of Cambridge Attend The Official Opening Of The Glade Of Light Memorial

(Image credit: Getty/Max Mumby/Indigo)

published 11 May 2022

It's been almost five years since the people of Manchester were left devastated by a bombing at Ariana Grande's concert in the city's Arena.

22 people died and many more were injured during the shocking attack. Many tributes have been paid to the victims since then, but perhaps none quite as permanent as a new memorial that was officially opened on May 10.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge traveled to the Northern English city to commemorate the victims at the Glade Of Light Memorial opening. The monument is a white marble "halo" with the victims' names inscribed on it, according to the Manchester Evening News. There, the duke gave a speech and the duchess laid down flowers.

In his address, Prince William said, "I remember only too well the shock and grief on the faces of those I met when I visited Manchester in the days following the atrocit. And the rawness of emotion at the Commemoration Service, held at your Cathedral just here, a year later. Five years on I know that the pain and the trauma felt by many, has not gone away" (via People).

The Cambridges also attended a reception in Manchester Cathedral, where they spoke to the victims' families as well as first responders.

Significantly, the duchess accessorized her subdued blue-gray Michael Kors coat and blue Polène handbag (opens in new tab) with bee-and-honeycomb earrings, as a nod to Manchester's worker bee symbol. "The bee denotes Mancunians’ hard work ethic and the city being a hive of activity," the city's website reads. "It has also come to represent the sense of unity in our great city." Middleton also wore a pink rubber bracelet with the inscription, "We Choose Love."

On Instagram, the duke wrote the poignant words, "There is comfort in remembering.

"In acknowledging that, while taken horribly soon, they lived. They changed our lives. They were loved, and they are loved.

"It is why memorials such as the Glade of Light are so important. Why Catherine and I so wanted to be here today."

Iris Goldsztajn is a London-based journalist, editor and author. She is the morning editor at Marie Claire, and her work has appeared in the likes of InStyle, Cosmopolitan, Bustle and Shape. Iris writes about everything from celebrity news and relationship advice to the pitfalls of diet culture and the joys of exercise. She has many opinions on Harry Styles, and can typically be found eating her body weight in cheap chocolate.