Prince William paid tribute to the first responders, victims, and residents of the city of Manchester on Friday, ten days after the shocking suicide bombing at an Ariana Grande concert on May 22.
Upon making a surprise visit to the Greater Manchester Police headquarters, William listened to officers as they shared their stories from the harrowing night.
The Duke wanted to acknowledge and thank the people of Manchester for their strength, decency and kindness.
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 2, 2017
The Duke thanks the Greater Manchester Police for their incredible efforts and response to the attack last week. pic.twitter.com/cPi6gmubV2
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 2, 2017
HRH chats to some of the GMP first responders, including the officers who were first on the scene at Manchester Arena. pic.twitter.com/fl6zNhqeje
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 2, 2017
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Michael Buckley, 47, an off-duty officer whose daughter Stephanie was attending the concert with friends, described frantically trying to contact her following the explosion. “I wanted to know where she was and whether she was okay and then there were all these other people badly injured too,” he told Prince William.
'Manchester's strength & togetherness is an example to the world'
More about The Duke of Cambridge's visit here:https://t.co/fLqrok8xgc pic.twitter.com/tyMS2dSFxr
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 2, 2017
HRH signs the Book of Condolence at Manchester Cathedral, and pays tribute to the city's "strength and togetherness." pic.twitter.com/KY8vTpejXn
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 2, 2017
The father and daughter were eventually reunited in a nearby hotel where Stephanie was safe and sound despite suffering a concussion and minor injuries.
“There was one lady who died three times and we got her back three times and then we lost her the fourth time. It was very difficult,” he continued.
Another officer, Chris Jenkins, recalled racing to the scene after hearing the explosion from his home, located five minutes away from the arena. “It was just absolute chaos with people running and screaming in different directions. I was just trying to feed back to comms what I was seeing and hearing. At the time you don’t know the bigger picture,” Jenkins described.
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When speaking with People magazine, Jenkins had only kind words to share about the royal’s visit, saying that “he was showing his respect and gratitude for what we did.”
Prince William then met with members of the local community and first responders, including St. John’s Ambulance, Northern Rail, and the British Red Cross. He also stopped by the Manchester Children’s Hospital, where he met privately with the families who have been directly affected by the attack.
HRH meets local taxi drivers and restauranteurs, as well as representatives from Northern Rail, @BritishRedCross and @stjohnambulance pic.twitter.com/lkLEgAZJtC
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 2, 2017
The Duke also visited Royal Manchester Children's Hospital to privately meet with families who have been supported following the attack. pic.twitter.com/c9JtvOmI65
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 2, 2017
The visit comes days after the Queen made her own surprise visit to the city shortly after the incident.
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