The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge joined bereaved families and survivors of the Grenfell Tower disaster as tributes were paid on the fifth anniversary of the fire.
An emotional-looking Kate and William laid a wreath at the foot of the tower in West London today after a powerful multi-faith service under the blazing sun.
Before the service, the pair met with survivors of the blaze, which killed 72 people, and with those who lost loved ones.
They then watched on as emotional prayers, readings and choir performances took place.
Among them was a poem from eight-year-old Ayeesha, who survived the fire.
Called Never Forget, she read out loud: “I will never forget the fire.
“I will never forget the smoke...I will never forget my friends and neighbours who did not survive.
“We cannot change the past but we can change the future. Never forget.”
Kate and William joined with a rapturous applause after the heart-rending reading.
Also in the service, 23 bereaved and surviving children appeared on stage before 18 balloons were released to represent the 18 children lost in the fire, with a name read out after each.
The start of the service saw a 72-second silence honoured and at the end of the service, all 72 names were read aloud.
Kate, 40, dressed in white and William, 39, in a suit and tie, were then led from the service by a group of children before being whisked away.
The pair have long-supported the Grenfell community and previously accompanied the Queen to meet those affected by the tragedy.
They most recently met survivors during a visit to mark the launch of the National Emergencies Trust, of which the Duke is a patron, back in November 2019.
Grenfell United, the bereaved and survivors’ group, said in a statement today: “Today, we remember the 72 beautiful souls lost that night. To ensure their memories live on.
“Those in power called them “nameless”. They were not nameless. They were treasured, loved and ours.
“Five years on, another Grenfell is still a very real possibility. This Government should feel ashamed at its complete lack of action and continued carelessness for the 72 lives so needlessly lost.
“We are enraged at the Government, whose sole focus continues to be profit and not public safety.”
It emerged last month the government is set to keep the controversial “stay-put” policy, meaning residents should remain in their flats in the event of a fire on the basis that the flames should be compartmentalised.
It was a key recommendation of phase one of the inquiry to scrap that policy in the wake of Grenfell.
“Five years on, the Government has reverted back to the same (stay-put) policy in place before Grenfell.
“This policy resulted in 41% of those living with disabilities dying at Grenfell”.
On justice, the group said: “What is the point of an Inquiry if nothing comes from it? Look at the history of Inquiries in this country. Are Inquiries there to slow down justice? To deny justice?
“They left us to search for answers, they mocked us publicly, now they stand in the way of justice. We must pave a new way forward. We must hold those responsible to account.”
On children, who were at the heart of events, they said: “Grenfell claimed the lives of 18 innocent children who had their whole lives ahead of them but weren’t given a chance to fulfil their dreams.
“We cannot underestimate the impact Grenfell has had on our children. Their childhood was taken away from them and the world became a very different place”
“They too have had to face an ugly reality - that those who had a duty of care for them, exposed them to horrors that no one should ever see.
And on legacy, they said: “We ask for people to be safe, respected and to be treated equally.
“However, over the last five years, the Government has bartered with us every step of the way.
“They haven’t given us a chance to think about what a true legacy would be.
“Instead, they’ve distracted us with their games and forced us to police them. But ultimately, they’ve made us feel like our 72 loved ones’ lives are constantly being evaluated”.
On thanking the community and wider public, they added: “On that night five years ago, the community and the wider public from all over the country came in solidarity and opened their hearts to support our community.
“Today, we remember the generosity the public showed us. We want to give thanks for everything they did then and have continued to do since. It’s this support that has given us the strength to keep going."
