The sun shone on a day to remember one of the darkest times in the city's history today. And while many are still healing, a quiet place to reflect in the heart of Manchester will be there for as long as it takes.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge William and Kate officially opened the Glade of Light memorial today (May 10) with the rain clouds clearing just as their cars rolled in. The halo shaped memorial has bloomed into colour since its unveiling in January, providing a peaceful spot for families to remember the ones they lost.
Prince William gave a genuinely moving speech as victims' families sat amongst our city's leaders to remember the terrible events of May 22 2017. "For Catherine and I, it is very important that we are with you here, today. To remember the twenty-two lives so brutally taken. To acknowledge the hundreds of lives that were irrevocably changed and to pay tribute to the resilience of this great City," His Royal Highness said.
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"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. 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.
"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.
"This was an attack on an evening of music. And it occurred in a city that has given the world so many songs to sing.
"When the people of Manchester gathered to pay respect to the victims just days after the atrocity, you told the world that your music would not be silenced. Instead, you raised your voices together and you sang a song of love that was written by some of this city’s most famous sons. On that day you told each other that you would not look back in anger. And you showed the world the true heart of this extraordinary place.
"So, when we come to this memorial let’s look back with love for those we lost. Let’s look back with love for the people who cared for and protected this community. And let’s look back with love for the ongoing strength of the great city of Manchester."
These words were spoken by a man who has felt grief himself, and who obviously deeply cared about the occasion. This was followed by a period where the world seemed to stop as the Right Reverend Dr David Walker, the Bishop of Manchester, read the names of those who died at the Arena Bombing.
John Atkinson, Courtney Boyle, Kelly Brewster, Georgina Callander, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, Liam Curry, Chloe Rutherford, Wendy Fawell, Martyn Hett, Alison Howe, Megan Hurley, Neil Jones, Michelle Kiss, Angelika Klis, Marcin Klis, Sorrell Leczkowski, Lisa Lees, Eilidh MacLeod, Elaine McIver, Saffie-Rose Roussos, Philip Tron, and Jane Tweddle.
The city will never forget these names that are now engraved on the marble halo in the cathedral gardens. The flowers laid today may be temporary, but the memory capsules for the 22 within the stone and 'living' garden are here to stay.
Figen Murray lost her 29-year-old son Martyn Hett in the attack during the Ariana Grande concert. She has been campaigning ever since for Martyn's Law in which venues would have a legal duty to devise and provide specific security plans for a terror attack.
After nearly five years since the Manchester Arena attack this took a significant step forward as the law was confirmed in today's Queen speech. This news, along with the opening of the 'beautiful' memorial, made this a 'fitting day for her'.
She told the Manchester Evening News: "The two of them (William and Kate) coming was very special. William has his own experience of grief and you could tell all the words he said came from the heart.
"Their words were beautiful and they took so much time to speak to all the families here today.
"This is not a memorial just for the families but for the whole city. It's really important for future generation, I hope that kids are told about what happened, it's a part of Manchester's history."
On Martyn's Law moving a step closer having been included in the Queen's speech, she said: "Today is a very special day as the Protect Duty legislation was mentioned in the Queen's speech, which is a massive step forward in the right direction. We can now see the end in sight.
"This is very significant. The memorial being opened put together with that news, was really quite fitting. Sadly the legislation has not quite been passed by the fifth anniversary but hopefully by the next anniversary everybody when out and about will be safer than they were before.
"Hopefully families will not have to go through what we've been through because of this. We've come here in recent weeks and seen people having their own moment of reflection which is lovely to see. This is not just for the families involved it's for all of Manchester.
"The attack was one against the whole city. So to have this memorial in the heart of the city for everybody to have and reflect with is very nice."
Before TRHs laid flowers on the memorial and were shown around by leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, and chief executive of the city council Joanne Roney OBE a powerful performance of Beyonce’s ‘Halo’ was given by the Manchester Survivors Choir with Parrs Wood High School Choir. The families were then taken into the cathedral, along with other GM leaders such as the mayor, Andy Burnham, for a reception with TRHs where they took time to speak to all there.
Coun Bev Craig said a lot of thought had been put into the placement of the memorial and William and Kate had made a strong connection with all the victim's families when they first met nearly five years ago, which was maintained today.
"We wanted the memorial to reflect how the city came together after the attack and I think this beautiful sight has achieved that. It's really special that, even though it's in the heart of the city, it's in a very peaceful place where anyone can come and reflect on the horrible events of five years ago.
"We needed something that was long term where families can come and reflect for as long as they need to.
"The Duke and Duchess coming was really important for two reasons. It acknowledges that this was not just an attack on Manchester but the whole UK.
"Also they came to visit the city in the immediate aftermath of the attack and now five years on they still care just as much. They remember all of the families from when the first met them four years ago which really means a lot to the families.
"We all remember where we were on that night and it's important we now have a place where we can all reflect on how we felt then. And to keep the victims and their families in our memoires forever."
After William and Kate departed the cathedral families took their time to take in the memorial in a private setting. All the plants around the memorial are from the British countryside and have been chosen so that they bloom in May, the anniversary of the attack.
Andy Thomson and Shivani Gunawardana designed the memorial with BCA Landscape. They showed TRHs around their creation, which they described as 'very important' for them to get right.
Andy said: "There was a lot of responsibility to do this right. We wanted to do the families proud by getting all the details right.
"I have three daughters who all had friends at the concert that night. To be able to do something as big as this in the scheme of things is really important, I'm so glad how it's turned out and is somewhere everyone can reflect on that terrible night."
Shivani added: "It's been really nice to visit over recent months to see people sitting and just taking it in. It doesn't feel like you're in the city centre, it's great we've been able to create this quiet garden for everyone."
