Prince William's emotional speech about grief: 'Changed our lives'

Prince William has spoken about how grief and the loss of his mother, Princess Diana, at the opening of the Glade of Light Memorial, commemorating the victims of the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing.

The bombing was a terrorist attack that took place during an Ariana Grande concert, leading to the death of 22, many of whom were young fans. Hundreds more were injured.

"I remember only too well the shock and grief on the faces of those I met when I visited Manchester in the days following the atrocity," the Duke of Cambridge said. "And the rawness of emotion at the Commemoration Service, held at your Cathedral just here, a year later. Five years on I know that the pain and the trauma felt by many, has not gone away."

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He added, "As someone who lives with his own grief, I also know that what often matters most to the bereaved is that those we have lost are not forgotten. There is comfort in remembering. In acknowledging that, while taken horribly soon, they lived. They changed our lives. They were loved, and they are loved.

"It is why memorials such as the Glade of Light are so important. Why Catherine and I so wanted to be amongst you today."

The names of the 22 victims of the attack were read out during the ceremony, which was followed by a minute's silence.

After the ceremony, Kate laid a bouquet of flowers in honour of the victims before she and William spoke with the bereaved families and those involved in the response effort.

The Duchess paid tribute to the city's symbol of the worker bee with honeycomb and bee earrings, the bee also became a symbol of the city's unity against hate and terrorism after the attack.

"The involvement of the royal family reflects the point that this wasn't just an awful tragedy that happened in Manchester but it was something that was felt throughout the country," Manchester council leader Bev Craig told PEOPLE.

"Having the royal family here is a really important tribute in my mind. They joined us for the first anniversary, so for many of these families, it's the second occasion they've met the royal family."

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