
Prince of Wales joins those remembering victims 20 years on from July 7 attacks
A series of commemorative events were held on Monday to remember the 52 people who died when three Tube trains and a bus were bombed by fanatics in 2005.
In the afternoon William joined a number of relatives of those who died as well as survivors at the event, with music including Something Inside and Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child performed by the London Gospel Choir.
The Hyde Park Memorial Service followed a morning ceremony at St Paul's Cathedral, which saw the Prime Minister and Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh among those who gathered to pay their respects.
The 2005 attacks, that also left several hundred people injured, were the worst single terrorist atrocity on British soil.
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan, Home Secretary Yvette Cooper, survivors, emergency responders and bereaved relatives also attended St Paul's.
The moving tribute saw 52,000 petals fall from the dome of the cathedral as the names of those who died were read by Saba Edwards, daughter of Behnaz Mozakka who died on the Piccadilly line, and Thelma Stober, who survived the Aldgate bomb.
The pair showed clear emotion and Ms Edwards stifled a sob and paused as she read her mother's name.
Earlier, Sir Keir Starmer and Sir Sadiq laid wreaths at the July 7 memorial in Hyde Park at 8.50am on Monday, to coincide with the time that the first bomb went off.
They were joined by officials including Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and Chief Constable of British Transport Police Lucy D'Orsi who also laid floral tributes.
In a statement issued to mark the anniversary, Sir Keir said: 'Today the whole country will unite to remember the lives lost in the 7/7 attacks, and all those whose lives were changed forever.
'We honour the courage shown that day — the bravery of the emergency services, the strength of survivors and the unity of Londoners in the face of terror.
'Those who tried to divide us failed. We stood together then, and we stand together now — against hate and for the values that define us of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.'
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq said Londoners 'will always choose hope over fear and unity over division'.
He added: 'We remember the 52 people whose lives were cruelly stolen on that dark day and our thoughts and prayers remain with all of their loved ones, as well as the more than 700 people who were injured by these cowardly acts of hatred.
'We also pay tribute to those who ran towards danger on that terrible day.
'From emergency service personnel, to transport workers and members of the public who showed incredible courage and compassion by putting their own safety at risk to help those in need, their bravery and selflessness will never be forgotten.
'Two decades on – as we unite for a day of commemoration – I have a clear message for those who seek to spread division and sow hatred – you will never win.
'London's determination to stand together is stronger than ever. We will always choose hope over fear and unity over division as we continue building a safer London for everyone.'
In his message to mark the anniversary, the King said comfort can be taken from the 'spirit of unity' in London and the country more broadly, which has allowed the nation to heal.
He said: 'Today, as we mark 20 years since the tragic events of 7th July 2005, my heartfelt thoughts and special prayers remain with all those whose lives were forever changed on that terrible summer's 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.
'We recall, too, the hundreds more who carry physical and psychological scars, and pray that their suffering may ease as the years pass.'
'In doing so, we should also remember the countless stories of extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day.
'The selfless bravery of our emergency services, transport workers, and fellow citizens who rushed towards danger to help strangers reminds us of the very best of humanity in the face of the very worst.'
The King also stressed the importance of communities coming together in times of adversity.
He said: 'While the horrors will never be forgotten, we may take comfort from the way such events rally communities together in solidarity, solace and determination.
'It is this spirit of unity that has helped London, and our nation, to heal.
'As we remember those we lost, let us, therefore, use this 20th anniversary to reaffirm our commitment to building a society where people of all faiths and backgrounds can live together with mutual respect and understanding, always standing firm against those who would seek to divide us.'
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

The National
22 minutes ago
- The National
Freedom Flotilla's Handala sets sail for Gaza to break Israel blockade
Last month, activist Greta Thunberg, MEP Rima Hassan, and journalist Omar Faiad were among those detained by Israel after they attempted to take a 'symbolic' amount of aid to Gaza – a Palestinian region under illegal Israeli occupation. Their Madleen boat, sailing under a British flag meaning it was under UK jurisdiction, was detained in international waters before its occupants were taken to Israel. Now, the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC) has said that a new ship, named Handala, had set sail from Syracuse in Sicily, also with the aim of delivering aid to Gaza. READ MORE: 'Good case' Israel breached international law with Madleen seizure 'This mission is for the children of Gaza,' the FFC said. 'Just weeks ago, Israeli forces illegally seized our boat 'Madleen' and abducted 12 unarmed civilians aboard her in international waters. 'Since March, more than 6572 Palestinians have been killed, over 23,000 injured, and hundreds shot while waiting for food. The children of Gaza now face famine, disease, and trauma few of us can imagine. 'We are not governments. We are people taking action where institutions have failed. We are not backing down.' The Freedom Flotilla Coalition is setting sail again. Join us in Siracusa, Italy — or online — on July 13 at 10:30 CEST (GMT+2) as we launch 'Handala' on its journey toward Gaza. Just weeks after Israeli forces illegally seized our boat 'Madleen' and abducted 12 unarmed… — Freedom Flotilla Coalition (@GazaFFlotilla) July 13, 2025 Video shared on social media showed the Handala, a 1960s converted fishing vessel, setting sail to chants of "Free Palestine" from the shore. The FFC has a live tracker on its website allowing users to follow the progress of the aid boat. It states: "As the Handala sails toward Gaza to challenge Israel's ongoing blockade, a blockade deemed illegal under international law, there is a real and well-documented risk of interception by Israeli naval forces. "Past Flotilla's have faced violent raids, unlawful detentions, and the obstruction of humanitarian missions. In this context, the tracker is not simply a navigation tool; it is a form of protection. "By continuously broadcasting the location, the tracker allows supporters, journalists, legal observers, and human rights organizations around the world to follow the vessel in real time." The @GazaFFlotilla boat #Handala left the Sicilian port of Siracusa today, on the way to one last stop before continuing onwards to #BreakTheSiege & blockade of #Gaza. Canadian Dr. @yipengGe was on board, helping to bring much-needed medical aid #ForTheChildrenOfGaza — Canada Boat to Gaza (@CanadaBoatGaza) July 13, 2025 In 2010, the Israeli military attacked an aid ship bound for Gaza owned by the Humanitarian Relief Foundation – the Mavi Marmara – in international waters, killing 10 people on board and injuring dozens more. Israel further prevented aid sailings to Gaza in 2011, 2015, and 2018. In May 2025, the FFC blamed Israel after drones allegedly attacked another of its vessels carrying aid to Gaza, the Conscience, in international waters off Malta. Israel cut off Gaza from all imports, including food and medicine, at the beginning of March. It has allowed some aid to enter the region through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (an Israel and US controlled group) since the end of May. READ MORE: The whole world is watching the Madleen's journey to Gaza on social media The GHF's executive director is Johnnie Moore, an evangelical preacher and former adviser to Donald Trump. The GHF controls four distribution sites in the strip, down from some 400 under the previous UN-led system. More than 130 leading charities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) operating in Gaza issued a joint call for an end to the 'deadly' GHF aid distribution scheme earlier this month. On Friday, the UN said that at least 798 people have been killed while trying to receive food aid in the Gaza Strip since the end of May – with 615 of those near to a GHF site.


NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
More than 70 arrested at U.K. protests in support of banned group Palestine Action
More than 70 people were arrested Saturday at protests in the U.K. against the Palestine Action group being proscribed a terrorist organization by the British government following a break-in and vandalism at a Royal Air Force base. In London, the Metropolitan Police said 42 people had been arrested by late afternoon. All but one of the arrests were for showing support for a proscribed organization, which police have said includes chanting, wearing clothing or displaying articles such as flags, signs or logos. Another person was arrested for common assault. A further 16 arrests were made in Manchester, according to Greater Manchester Police, while South Wales Police said 13 people were also held in Cardiff. In London, it was the second straight week protesters gathered to support the pro-Palestinian activist group. Its outlawing has meant support for the organization is deemed a criminal offense. Police arrested 29 people at a similar protest last weekend. Two groups gathered underneath both the statues of Indian independence leader Mahatma Gandhi and South Africa's first post-apartheid president, Nelson Mandela, in Parliament Square. Signs with the wording 'I oppose genocide, I support Palestine Action,' were held aloft in silence as the protesters were surrounded by police officers and members of the media. Some demonstrators could be seen lying on top of each other on the ground as police searched their bags and took away signs. Officers could then be seen carrying away a number of protesters who were lying down, lifting them off the ground and into waiting police vans parked around the square. The official designation earlier this month of Palestine Action as a proscribed group under the Terrorism Act 2000 means that membership in the group and support for its actions are punishable by up to 14 years in prison. Some 81 organizations are already proscribed under the U.K. act, including the militant groups Hamas and al-Qaida. The government moved to ban Palestine Action after activists broke into a Royal Air Force base in Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, England, on June 20, damaging two planes using red paint and crowbars in protest at the British government's ongoing military support for Israel in its war in Gaza. Police said that the incident caused around $9.4 million of damage. Four people between 22 and 35 years old were charged with conspiracy to commit criminal damage and conspiracy to enter a prohibited place for purposes prejudicial to the interests of the U.K. The four are scheduled to appear on July 18 at the Central Criminal Court in London, better known as the Old Bailey.


The Guardian
2 hours ago
- The Guardian
Lord Blair of Boughton
Ian Blair, Lord Blair of Boughton, who has died aged 72, was the Metropolitan police commissioner who not only faced unprecedented terrorism attacks on London during his tenure, but was the first for more than 100 years to be sacked by the politician to whom he was responsible, Boris Johnson as mayor of London, in 2008. Casting a very dark shadow over his leadership was the handling of the shooting of the innocent Brazilian electrician Jean Charles de Menezes by police marksmen at Stockwell tube station in the wake of the 7/7 terrorist attacks five months into Blair's appointment as commissioner in 2005. He was slow to acknowledge that the police had made a terrible mistake, failed seemingly to appreciate the severity of the error and tried to prevent the Independent Police Complaints Commission from investigating what had happened. London and its police force were under tremendous pressure at the time, but the incident was devastating to his career and reputation. Blair, an Oxford-educated graduate in English literature – another first for the role - notably attempted to reform the procedures of the Met and to make it more responsive to the capital's diverse communities. But he failed to master public relations – and lost any credit he might have had both with the rightwing media and its Conservative political allies and, more crucially, with many of the officers under his command. He was, they called him, 'the PC PC', too close to the government of his unrelated namesake Tony Blair and prone to buckle in a crisis. In the words of the former policeman and commentator Tony Judge to the Guardian in 2006: 'He doesn't seem to be a leader, seems to be very much a theorist … seen as an academic police officer first and foremost, a product of the leadership cadre that has emerged over the last 30 years.' There was ingrained suspicion of a fast-tracked graduate in a traditionally non-graduate profession. Blair was the younger son of Sheila (nee Law) and Francis Blair, who worked for Lever Brothers, latterly as the dock manager at Port Sunlight. Ian and his older brother, Sandy, were brought up in Boughton, a suburb of Chester, and both were privately educated – in Ian's case at Wrekin college – with their fees paid by an uncle who was a doctor. Ian then studied English at Christ Church, Oxford, having ambitions to be an actor, though his family hoped he might become a doctor. Acting did not come off, but the university careers service was successful, to his family's disappointment, in suggesting he might try the police instead. Joining the Met in 1974, he was fast-tracked on the new police graduate entry scheme, rising rapidly up the ranks: detective sergeant at Notting Hill, chief inspector at Kentish Town and a period on the staff of the chief inspector of constabulary, investigating the police themselves. These were not deskbound jobs: he was involved in policing the Brixton riots and placed in charge of identifying the victims of the King's Cross fire in 1987. He was sent on the senior commanders' course at Bramshill police training college and in 1982 given a bursary to study rape case procedures in the US, subsequently producing a book, Investigating Rape (1985), which would inform his attitude to the treatment of the crime and its victims. In 1993 he was made head of the Met's complaints investigation bureau and placed in charge of the Operation Gallery inquiry into police corruption. He became assistant chief constable of the Thames Valley force, in charge of policing the protests against the construction of the Newbury bypass, and in 1998 was made chief constable of Surrey. Two years later he was back at the Met, as deputy to the commissioner, John Stevens, the coppers' copper, a dominating and popular presence in the force. Blair, supposedly supplying the intellect to accompany Stevens's avuncular authority, was clearly earmarked as his successor. In 2003 he was knighted. The Met was still recovering from accusations of institutional racism levelled at it in the Macpherson report into the investigation of the murder of the black teenager Stephen Lawrence and Blair introduced initiatives intended to root out the so-called canteen culture, not only of racism but also misogyny and homophobia within the force. These appealed to the Blair government in appointing him as commissioner to the traditional five-year term in 2005, but also inevitably led to resentment and antagonism among some officers. The force's unofficial magazine Constabulary claimed 'PC has gone way beyond reasonable and fair,' and the fact that Blair was seen as too close to New Labour inevitably aroused the ire of the Daily Mail and the Telegraph. Both would pursue him relentlessly. It did not help that Blair, assured and often genial to members of the public and in broadcast interviews, could be seen as chilly and remote within the force. He told the Guardian in 2005: 'I am never going to be the Daily Mail's cup of tea. I can't work the Telegraph out: the things we are doing are what the Telegraph would like us to do, but they still don't like it.' Measures such as diverting £300m to frontline policing, being more responsive to London's residents, the setting up of 600 safer neighbourhoods local teams of officers, the streamlining of the Met's labyrinthine and sometimes rival operational teams and the codifying of the force's values cut little ice with the critics. Nor did falling crime and murder rates and the recruitment of an increasing number of people from minority ethnic backgrounds. Then came 7/7: the detonation on 7 July 2005 of Islamist terrorist bombs on three rush-hour tube trains at Russell Square, Aldgate and Edgware Road, and on a bus at Tavistock Square, which together killed 52 people and injured 800. With the capital on full alert and its population fearful, Blair went directly not to the scenes – he would do that later – but to the television studios to offer reassurance. 'I was just instinctively aware that what we needed now was a man in uniform to say we're OK,' he said. 'I don't want to be at all boastful, but I just thought it was the right moment.' This demonstrativeness came back to haunt him a fortnight later. De Menezes, innocently on his way to work, was shot dead at Stockwell station by armed officers who mistakenly believed that he was one of the missing terrorists. Blair, against the advice of senior colleagues, gave a highly misleading press conference later that day indicating that the killing was justified because De Menezes had refused to stop or obey police instructions, even as it was becoming clear that the police narrative was both self-serving and wrong. De Menezes had not refused anything, had not tried to escape, had not been carrying a concealed bomb and had already been restrained when he was shot. Blair was slow to acknowledge the mistakes the following day and even downplayed the incident later, telling the Guardian that it had been 'a paragraph in a novel moving at high speed. It's awful we shot somebody. It's awful he was completely innocent.' It emerged that he had tried to prevent the IPCC carrying out its duty to investigate the shooting. He survived the fallout and subsequent investigations, but his reputation did not recover and he became increasingly gaffe-prone, as when he appeared to downplay the seriousness of the murder of two girls in Soham, saying their case did not merit such widespread media attention as it was getting. Blair by now was alienating not just Conservative media and politicians – he was the first commissioner whose work was overseen by the mayor of London and the capital's police authority rather than the home secretary – but also senior officers in the Met who were increasingly critical of his leadership. In October 2008, Johnson, the new mayor, announced that he could not work with Blair and forced him into resignation, the first commissioner not to serve out his full term since 1890. Blair, who was created a life peer in 2010, retired to write his memoirs, Policing Controversy (2009), and to serve on various charitable bodies. He was a trustee of the Globe theatre, and chair of trustees at the children's hospice Helen & Douglas house in Oxford, and of the Woolf Institute, an interfaith charity in Cambridge. He was active on the commission for assisted dying (2010-12) and made notable contributions on this subject in the House of Lords. He married Felicity White in 1980. She, a son, Josh, and a daughter, Amelia, survive him. Ian Warwick Blair, Lord Blair of Boughton, police officer, born 19 March 1953; died 9 July 2025