King hails ‘spirit of unity’ as Britain remembers 7/7 attacks

AFP | London

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Fifty-two thousand petals fell in St Paul’s Cathedral yesterday to honour the 52 victims of London’s July 7 bombings, as King Charles III paid tribute to the spirit of unity shown after the 2005 atrocity.

To mark the moment the first bomb went off 20 years ago, Prime Minister Keir Starmer and London Mayor Sadiq Khan laid wreaths at the July 7 memorial in the capital’s Hyde Park at 8:50 am (0750 GMT).

On July 7, 2005, four homegrown Islamist extremists detonated suicide bombs on three underground trains and a bus across central London, killing dozens and injuring hundreds more. The king’s brother Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, and his wife, Sophie, attended a national service of commemoration at St Paul’s, along with Starmer and the mayor.

They were joined by survivors, bereaved relatives and emergency services personnel on duty at the time of the attacks.

Later Monday, Prince William attended a commemoration service at the July 7 memorial, meeting with survivors and laying flowers at the site.

In an earlier statement to mark the anniversary, his father, the king, urged people to draw on the “extraordinary courage and compassion” shown after the attack.

Darkness of that day'

“We remember with profound sadness the 52 innocent people who were killed in senseless acts of evil -- and the enduring grief of their loved ones,” King Charles said in the statement, published by the domestic Press Association news agency.

“In doing so, we should alsoremember the countless storiesof extraordinary courage andcompassion that emerged fromthe darkness of that day,” he said.

“The selfless bravery of ouremergency services, transportworkers and fellow citizens whorushed towards danger to helpstrangers reminds us of the verybest of humanity in the face of thevery worst,” he added.