Mere days after the marriage of Pippa Middleton to James Matthews, members of the Royal Family have been forced to go from celebratory to melancholy.
On Monday night, a suicide bomber detonated an explosive inside Manchester Arena that took the lives of 22 people.
Among the victims was this eight-year old girl.
The attack took place toward the end of an Ariana Grande concert in Great Britain, causing 59 other people to be injured and mass panic to take over the country.
In response to the tragedy, Grande has Tweeted that she’s “broken” over what transpired, while countless other celebrities have also spoken out.
President Donald Trump called out the bomber, as well as ISIS members associated with him, as a total “loser” and British Prime Minister Theresa May referred to the mass murder as an “appalling terrorist attack.”
Now, with her nation scared and on edge, Queen Elizbaeth II has also issued a statement.
“I know I speak for everyone in expressing my deepest sympathy to all who have been affected by this dreadful event and especially to the families and friends of those who have died or were injured,” says the 91-year old Monarch, adding:
“I want to thank all the members of the emergency services, who have responded with such professionalism and care.
“And I would like to express my admiration for the way the people of Manchester have responded, with humanity and compassion, to this act of barbarity.”
Soon after these words were expressed, Prince William spoke on behalf of himself, his wife, Kate Middleton and his brother, Prince Harry.
“Like everyone, Catherine, Harry and I are left shocked and saddened by the tragedy that unfolded in Manchester overnight,” he said.
“Hundreds of friends, parents, children and partners are confronting unimaginable grief today, and we send our thoughts to them all.
“We also send our thanks to the people of Manchester for their display of strength, decency and community that is an example to the world.”
Authorities have confirmed that the attacker died in his own blast, but ISIS has claimed responsibility for the incident and a 23-year old has been arrested in conjunction with the killings.
One of the fans who was killed, meanwhile, recently shared on social media a photo she snapped Grande two years ago.
Here it is:
Among the most outspoken stars in the wake of these deaths was James Corden, who hails from London and did the best he could on air last night to offer hope to those affected by this tragedy.
“If it was even possible, the spirit of the people of Manchester will grow even stronger this evening,” he said, concluding as follows:
“My thoughts and prayers are with everyone in Manchester tonight – all of the staff at the [Manchester Arena], all of the security teams, all of the emergency services, Ariana and her team, and all of those families affected by tonight.
“We’ll all go to bed holding our little ones even tighter this evening.”
You can watch Corden’s full speech below:
Elsewhere, a spokesperson for Manchester Arena issued an update and shared it via Twitter Tuesday morning.
Last night, our community suffered a senseless tragedy. Our entire team’s thoughts and focus are now on supporting the people affected and their families.
We are assisting the police in any way we can. We cannot praise the emergency services enough for their response and have been inspired by the way the people of this great city of Manchester rallied round last night and continued to respond today. It shows the very best of this city.
Again, our thoughts and deepest condolences are with all those affected by last night’s tragedy.
Grande, and the two artists who opened for her on Monday, are both okay. Physically, at least.
The young star has postponed the remaining European dates on her tour, however.
After initially sending a short and heartfelt Tweet, Grande and her team posted a longer message later in the day on Tuesday.
It reads:
“Tonight, our hearts are broken. Words cannot express our sorrow for the victims and families harmed in this senseless attack. We mourn the lives of children and loved ones taken by this cowardly act.
“We are thankful for the selfless service tonight of Manchester’s first responders who rushed towards danger to help save lives.
“We ask all of you to hold the victims, their families and all those affected in your hearts and prayers.”
We will continue to update this story as more news breaks.