Princes William and Harry offer comfort to Grenfell tower fire survivors

Princes William and Harry offer comfort to Grenfell tower fire survivors

Yesterday, Prince William and Prince Harry met with survivors of the horrific fire which happened at Grenfell Tower in June. 80 people were killed and a further 70 injured during the blaze in West-London. People were happy for members of the royal family to meet with them and for the chance to share their personal stories, with one man Omar Al Haj Ali exclaiming that people had been waiting for this visit.

The meeting took place in Kensington at the Al-Manaar Muslim Cultural Heritage Centre. The princes were given a tour of the centre which was one of the first places to offer help to those left homeless after the fire. Al-Manaar has been providing food, water and shelter as well as counselling to those in need, ever since the incident occurred. The centre is also a safe space for people to meet and for volunteers to convene.

William and Harry met with people whose lives have been torn apart from the Grenfell tower; families who are living in hotels scattered across the city, those who witnessed the deaths of their loved ones and a woman who sadly lost her unborn child as a result of the fire. Although nothing will bring back the victims of the awful incident, the centre is at least one place which is striving to help people to rebuild their lives. The royals met with a group of therapists who are helping people to talk about what they have been through, as well as the Grenfell women’s group who offer support to one and other as well as cooking meals for people left without a home.

The Princes also visited the Support 4 Grenfell Community Hub in North-Kensington, which has been funded by royal charities. The hub is used to house charities which are helping the victims of the fire. Mr Gomes, a survivor said of the princes ‘they have seen so many families impacted by the tragedy, and they know what they are going through’ praising the efforts of the royal brothers and their funded charities in the aftermath of the tragedy. The Princes encouraged people to support each other and to always talk about their lost loved ones.