WATCH: The Queen says attack on Manchester was wicked

The Queen condemned the "wicked" attack on Manchester Arena as she joined young victims of the suicide bomb at their hospital bedside.
The Queen meets victims of the Manchester terror attackThe Queen meets victims of the Manchester terror attack
The Queen meets victims of the Manchester terror attack

The Queen condemned the "wicked" attack on Manchester Arena as she joined young victims of the suicide bomb at their hospital bedside.

Medics, who battled to save the lives of children caught up in the atrocity, told the Queen as she toured the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital how they worked tirelessly through the night.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Twelve children under the age of 16 - among the 64 casualties - were taken to the hospital by ambulance following the terror attack.

The Queen meets victims of the Manchester terror attackThe Queen meets victims of the Manchester terror attack
The Queen meets victims of the Manchester terror attack

The Queen met scores of staff who had assisted the emergency effort - including clinicians, doctors, nurses and porters - before visiting a ward where four young girls injured in the concert blast are recovering.

She told Evie Mills, 14, and her parents: "It's dreadful. Very wicked. To target that sort of thing."

The Queen expressed her shock at the targeting of young victims, telling a member of staff: "The awful thing was that everyone was so young. The age of them."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She learnt about the role each had played on the night - including how many had come in from home to offer their help - and commended them for "coming together".

The Queen meets victims of the Manchester terror attackThe Queen meets victims of the Manchester terror attack
The Queen meets victims of the Manchester terror attack

Millie Robson, 15, was wearing an Ariana Grande T-shirt as she met and shared words with the royal visitor.

The Queen asked Millie, who suffered injuries to her legs, if she had enjoyed the concert before the attack - prompting the teenager to reveal she had won two VIP passes and met the global superstar backstage.

The monarch described the atrocity as "very alarming" and wished Millie, from Greater Manchester, a speedy recovery.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

"It's not something you expect at all," the Queen said to Millie's father David, who was waiting at the exit of the arena for the youngster when the bomb exploded.

The Queen told Evie, from Harrogate, she thought Grande was a "very good singer", adding: "She sounds very, very good."

She assured her parents that "everyone is united" following the attack.

One of the young victims, 12-year-old Emily Murrell, was forced to miss the royal visit as she was undergoing surgery.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Her mother Ruth, who was also hit with shrapnel and is still recovering in hospital, said her daughter would be incredibly disappointed but spoke to the Queen in her absence.

Amy Barlow, 12, from Helmshore, Lancashire, was another of the teenagers who met the Queen.

She was joined by her mother Cathy - who said she had not left the hospital since the pair were caught up in the attack - and father Grant.

The Queen's visit comes two days after Prime Minister Theresa May went to the hospital.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Earlier, staff gathered outside the hospital for a minute's silence, when they remembered those who had lost their lives, before bursting into spontaneous applause.

Afterwards, the Queen travelled to Staffordshire in a pre-planned visit in her role as Duke of Lancaster - a title which every English monarch has held since the 14th century.

Her tour took her to Eland Lodge Farmhouse, at Draycott-in-the-Clay near Burton-on-Trent, and later on she met tenant farmers at Lower Castle Hayes Farm.

At Draycott, she watched four female riders from Meynell and South Staffordshire pony club complete a course of eight jumps, telling them afterwards: "That looked fun."

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

She wore an Angela Kelly outfit and hat, a royal blue silk wool coat with silk detail on the sleeves, worn with a silk dress in orange with small royal blue flower detail.

The Queen's hat was an orange sinamay, adorned with orange roses and royal blue feathers. She also wore a Duchy of Lancaster brooch.