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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Russell Myers & Jennifer Newton

Kate Middleton wears bee earrings in tribute to Manchester victims as she opens memorial

The Duchess of Cambridge paid tribute to the victims of the Manchester Arena terror attack by wearing bee earrings as the joined Prince William to open the official memorial to them.

The Glade of Light memorial is a white marble "halo" bearing the names of those killed in the May 2017 outrage.

The royal couple attended a ceremony to officially unveil the memorial and commemorate the victims before meeting some of their families.

For the visit, Kate wore a Michael Kors coat, which she teamed with earrings bearing the bee emblem. The bee is a symbol of the city of Manchester and is depicted on many buildings.

At the ceremony, William gave an emotional speech before he and Kate walked around the memorial garden, where the Duchess laid flowers.

Kate wore earrings with a bee symbol on them (UK Press via Getty Images)
The ceremony took place in the shadows of Manchester Cathedral (Samir Hussein/WireImage)

The Duke spoke of his own grief after the death of his mother Princess Diana in 1997, as he told of the importance of holding on to cherished memories of those who have been lost.

He said: "I remember all too well the shock and grief on the faces of those I met when I visited Manchester in the days following the atrocity.

"And the rawness of emotion at the Commemoration Service held at your Cathedral here, a year later. Five years on, I know the pain and trauma felt by many, has not gone away.

"As someone who lives with their own grief, I also know that what matters most to the bereaved is that those who we have lost are not forgotten. There is comfort in remembering. In acknowledging, while taken horribly soon, they lived. They changed our lives.

"They were loved and are loved. It is why memorials such as the Glade of Light are so important. Why Catherine and I wanted to be amongst you today."

Prince William gives a speech during the official opening of the Glade of Light Memorial in Manchester (PA)

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After they went to a private reception inside Manchester Cathedral to speak to some of the bereaved families and those involved in the response effort.

The victims of the attack were slaughtered at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on the evening of May 22, 2017.

Bomber Salman Abedi, 22, detonated a home made bomb hidden in a rucksack, wreaking havoc on a night of joy which ended in devastation.

Over 1,000 people were injured and of the 22 people who were killed, six were children, the youngest, Saffie-Rose Rouyssos, was just eight.

In honour of those who perished in the attack which rocked the nation, the Glade of Light Memorial was commissioned to act as a place of hope and solace for the families.

The royal couple take a walk around the memorial (REUTERS)
Kate lays flowers at the memorial (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

The monument, designed and constructed in consultation with the families of victims, will serve as a reminder for a city which came together after being left devastated by the assault.

The Glade of Light was designed to be a living memorial, a tranquil garden space for remembrance and reflection, featuring plants which grow naturally in the UK countryside selected to provide year-round colour and echo the changing seasons.

It had already been a busy day for William, who earlier in the day attended the State Opening of Parliament for the very first time.

It was only announced last night that he would be attending after his grandmother the Queen pulled out of the event due to mobility issues.

The royal couple pause to reflect as they lay flowers (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
The Glade of Light memorial is a white marble "halo" next to Manchester Cathedral (PA)

Heir to the throne Prince Charles, in his Admiral of the Fleet uniform, took on the monarch’s constitutional duty in the House of Lords amid the pomp and ceremony of the State Opening.

It is the first time in nearly 60 years that the Queen, 96, has missed the occasion.

The 73-year-old prince sat not on the sovereign’s throne, which had been removed, but on the consort’s throne, which used to be occupied by his father, the Duke of Edinburgh, and which Charles has used in recent years.

A space remained next to him, where the Queen’s missing throne is usually located, under the opulent canopy, with the monarch’s Imperial State Crown in front on a velvet cushion.

On either side of Charles were William, in a morning coat, at his first State Opening, and the Duchess of Cornwall, wearing a day dress and hat, in the Chairs of State.

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