The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will attend the official opening of the memorial for the 22 people killed in the Manchester Arena attack.
The Duke and Duchess will visit ‘Glad of Light’, a white marble halo that will have the name of each of those who lost their lives. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the attack in which hundreds were injured alongside the 22 people who died when Salman Abedi set off a homemade device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert on 22 May 2017.
During their visit, the Duke will speak at a short ceremony while the Duchess lays flowers. They will then attend a private reception inside Manchester Cathedral where they will be joined by some of the bereaved families and those involved in response efforts.
Designed in an international competition, the memorial opened to the public in January and is located next to the cathedral. It was created as a living memorial, a peaceful garden with space to remember and reflect. Within the stone are personalised memory capsules filled with mementos of those killed.
In addition to the attention to detail in the stone, the memorial is surrounded by plants that grow naturally in the UK countryside. Around the anniversary of the attack every year, on 22 May, the white flowers of a hawthorn tree planted at the centre of the memorial will bloom.
Joanne Roney, chief executive of Manchester City Council said of the memorial’s official opening: “As we approach the fifth anniversary of the May 22 2017 attack, the Glade of Light is a potent symbol of how Manchester will continue to hold those who lost their lives, and everyone who was affected by those terrible events, in our hearts. We will never forget them.”
The Duke of Cambridge attended a National Service of Commemoration at the cathedral in 2018.
