‘The awful thing was they were so young’: Queen adds voice on day to mark victims

IN A few simple words during a visit to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital to meet the young victims of the terrorist bombing, the Queen encapsulated the horror of an attack that has left the nation reeling. “It’s dreadful, very wicked, to target that sort of thing,” the Queen told 14-year-old schoolgirl Evie Mills, who was lying on her hospital bed with a teddy by her side, and a blanket shrouding her injured chest and legs.

The Queen later added, as she toured the children’s ward viewing at first hand the carnage of Monday night’s attack: “The awful thing was that everyone was so young.”

During her 65-year reign, the Queen has occasionally made visits to hospital to help lead the nation in moments of national grieving.

She did so after the 7/7 terror attacks in London and also to meet servicemen and women injured fighting for their country.

But never have so many children been among the victims.

There are 14 inpatients remaining at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital following the attack, including five in critical care.

Among those continuing to recover from their injuries in the hospital was Millie Robson, 15, from Co Durham, who was still wearing her Ariana Grande concert T-shirt that she had chosen especially for the concert at the Manchester Arena. Her legs were badly wounded in the blast and before she was rushed to hospital first aiders used handbags as tourniquets.

Mille, who is now being looked after on the ward by staff and her mother, Marie, told the Queen she went to the concert with a friend who was also injured in the attack after winning VIP tickets to meet her idol.

The Queen, who was wearing a blue coat, white gloves and orange hat, responded: “She sounds a very, very good singer.”

Since Monday evening’s bombings, Manchester has struggled to come to terms with the horror of what took place. But yesterday, the famous city of music reached deep into its soul to help bind its wounds.

At 11am – as the country fell silent to think of those killed and maimed in the attack – a crowd several thousand strong gathered in St Ann’s Square in the centre of Manchester.

After observing the one-minute silence those present broke into a

‘The only positive out of this terrible situation is to see how people have come together’

round of spontaneous applause. Then a lone voice began to sing: Don’t Look Back in Anger, by Oasis. The impromptu song rippled through the crowd gaining in size and strength. It marked the moment when the people of Manchester announced they would never be beaten.

It was started by Lydia Bernsmeierrullow, 32, the daughter of Manchester music presenter and DJ, Mike Shaft. “It felt beautiful and I got goose pimples all over me,” she told The Daily Telegraph yesterday as she stood with a bouquet of sunflowers in her arms. “It was a only a few people singing at first then everybody joined in. People hugged me and thanked me but I didn’t think it was anything in particular.”

Mrs Bernsmeier-rullow, from Levenshulme, said she hadn’t planned to sing the song before attending the vigil yesterday, but its lyrics had been in her head ever since the attack. “Don’t look back in anger is a very Mancunian sentiment,” she said. “We don’t hate. We love.”

The song has become the city’s unofficial anthem of defiance. The tannoy system at Manchester Piccadilly rail station also played it after staff and passengers had observed the minute silence while earlier this week, students at Chetham’s School of Music, which is close to the arena where 22 people died, broke into a rendition in tribute to the victims.

Natalie Earley, 21, who was in St Ann’s Square yesterday with three generations of her family, said she had spent the previous evening blasting the Oasis song – and other Manchester bands – out of her bedroom window.

“It is so difficult to think about what has happened and not be angry but that is what we are going to have to do,” she said. “The only positive out of this terrible situation is to see how people have come together.”

Throughout the day a carpet of flowers continued to grow in the square, with a constant procession of people wanting to sign the books of condolence inside St Ann’s Church.

Rector the Rev Nigel Ashworth said at times the queue to get in had been 30-strong. “The first day was total devastated shock,” he said. “The second day was about tears and now we are trying to think about how to move forward as a city.”

Among those signing a book of condolence was Geoff Dodd, 68, a retired primary school head teacher, and his wife, Carole. Mr Dodd said their daughter and granddaughter had been present at the concert but managed to get to safety unharmed. They wanted to sign the book in support of all the other families and to show they will not be cowed.

“My message to the terrorists is you picked on the wrong city,” he said.