Queen condemns ‘wicked’ attack as she visits injured
SHE walked in wearing the brightest hat and coat in the royal wardrobe and the sunniest of smiles.
But the Queen did not mince her words when she visited children injured in the Manchester atrocity – describing the attack as ‘very wicked’.
And she expressed her horror that the bombers targeted children, commenting: ‘The awful thing was that everyone was so young. The age of them, cruel.’
After three days of misery, pain and fear, Her Majesty’s presence lifted the gloom.
Going from bedside to bedside at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital, the Queen yesterday chatted to the injured children and their parents about the most traumatic experience imaginable.
The monarch even appeared to have prepared for the visit by listening to some Ariana Grande hits, impressing Evie Mills, 14, by telling her she was ‘ a very good singer’ and adding: ‘ She sounds very, very good.’
The schoolgirl from Harrogate, North Yorkshire, who suffered injuries to her leg and chest, said her trip to the show was a ‘ birthday present,’ a revelation that prompted the Queen to comment on how good the singer was.
Her father commented it was ‘really very scary’ and the Queen made no effort to hide her feelings about the attack by saying: ‘It was a dreadful thing. Very wicked to target that sort of thing.’
Another of the inspirational youngsters was Millie Robson, 15, who was wearing an Ariana Grande T-shirt. The monarch described the atrocity as ‘very alarming’ and wished Millie a speedy recovery.
Millie suffered severe leg injuries and handbags were used as tourniquets in a desperate bid to stem the flow of blood.
The Queen, who wore a royal blue silk wool coat and an orange sinamay hat, adorned with orange roses and royal blue feathers, also spoke to Amy Barlow, 12, from Helmshore, Lancashire. She was with mother Cathy and father Grant who have stayed at her bedside throughout.