Britain’s Prince Charles (2nd L) shakes hands with British prime minister Gordon Brown (R) as Camilla, The Duchess of Cornwall (L) looks on, at the dedication of the London Bombing Memorial for the victims of the city’s 2005 suicide bombings, in Hyde Park, central London, on July 7, 2009. Britain’s Prince Charles joined victims’ families in London’s Hyde Park Tuesday for the unveiling of a memorial to the 52 victims of the city’s 2005 suicide bombings. On the fourth anniversary of the July 7 attacks, around 700 people huddled in the rain for the dedication of 52 stainless steel pillars, one for each person killed when bombs ripped through three Underground trains and a bus. Getty Images
by Terry Kirby
As the rain beat down they stood, some in tears, clutching each other for support.
Others sought solace by resting their foreheads against the roughly textured steel columns that form the memorial to those killed in the 7 July attacks. Some ran their fingers over the surfaces, sensing the people they represent.
The families and survivors of the bombings gathered to show that the victims will never be forgotten with the opening of the “The London Bombings Memorial” in Hyde Park.
The structure is made up of 52 stainless steel pillars to represent those who lost their lives during the Tube and bus bombings four years ago today.
Prince Charles led dignitaries including Gordon Brown, Boris Johnson, David Cameron and Nick Clegg.
But the real focus was on the families, still coming to terms with their loss.
Elizabeth Nicholson, sister of Jennifer, 24, who died at Edgware Road, summed up her feelings towards the new memorial, saying: “I like the way they stand tall as though the people are still there looking down on us.
“The fact that they have imperfections just seems to represent the individual people somehow.”
The sisters’ mother, the Rev Julie Nicholson, said: “I think it creates a great sense of community, having seen the people walking around it today. It is a community both of the dead and of the living.” Jennifer’s close friend, 19-year-old student Charlotte Harris, said: “You feel able to touch them to help you remember the people they represent.”
LONDON – JULY 7: Friends and relatives of the victims attend the opening of the London Bombing Memorial in Hyde Park on July 7, 2009 in London, England. The memorial consists of 52 single columns representing the lives lost, and was officially unveiled by HRH Prince Charles, Prince of Wales and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, four years on from the terrorist attacks. Getty Images
Charles told the crowd: “The date of the London bombings is etched vividly on all our minds, as a brutal intrusion into the lives of thousands of people.
“Tragically, as we know, some were not so fortunate as to walk away from what happened on that awful day, and it is them that we seek to honour.”
He also praised the “resilience and fortitude of the British people” and said it was their indomitable spirit, together with the commitment and compassion of the emergency services, that got the country through 7 July and the days that followed. “Everyone has their own way in responding to trauma, grief, injury and bereavement, but I do pray that all those touched by violence everywhere will eventually find peace again,” he said.
During the ceremony, the Prince stood with his head bowed as Trevor McDonald read out the names of each of the 52. That was followed by a minute’s silence and then, as rain began to fall, Charles and Camilla laid wreathes beside a plaque with the 52 names inscribed on it.
They were followed by relatives of the 52, who placed red or white roses at either side of the plaque.
The memorial, designed by London architects Carmody Groarke consists of stainless steel pillars, each 11ft 6in tall, which form a series of interlocking groups symbolising the four different attacks: King’s Cross, Aldgate, Edgware Road and Tavistock Square. Each is inscribed with the time, date and location of the incidents.
The memorial was designed, in consultation with members of the families of five victims with advice from Antony Gormley.
Carolyn Cutmore, 26, from Windsor, the best friend of Carrie Taylor, 24, who died in the Aldgate bomb, said: “I think they are fantastic. They just fit in so well in this location in the park. They are rustic standing stones that are just going to be here forever.”
Ken Livingstone was among the 700 invited guests. He praised the striking design, saying: “I think it’s just exactly right. Often, it’s very difficult to do something like this and get it right, but I think everyone has done a great job.”
Among those present was Garri Holness, 42, who lost a leg at King’s Cross. He became one of the most prominent survivors of the attack until it was revealed he had been jailed for seven years for taking part in the rape of two schoolgirls more than 20 years ago.
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