King and Prime Minister lead nation remembering 7/7 London Bombings
A wreath laying ceremony and memorial services are taking place on Monday.
The King has called on the nation to remember the “extraordinary courage and compassion” in the face of the horrors of the July 7 bombings.
In a message to mark the 20th anniversary of the attacks, he said comfort can be taken from the “spirit of unity” in London and the country more broadly, which has allowed the nation to heal.
On July 7 2005, four suicide bombers struck the capital’s transport network, killing 52 people and injuring more than 770 on three London Underground trains and a bus.
The King has asked for the country to reaffirm its commitment to building a society of all faiths and backgrounds, standing against those who seek to divide us.
He said: “Today, as we mark 20 years since the tragic events of 7th July 2005, my heartfelt thoughts and special prayers remain with all those whose lives were forever changed on that terrible summer’s day.
“We remember with profound sadness the 52 innocent people who were killed in senseless acts of evil – and the enduring grief of their loved ones.
“We recall, too, the hundreds more who carry physical and psychological scars, and pray that their suffering may ease as the years pass.
“In doing so, we should also remember the countless stories of extraordinary courage and compassion that emerged from the darkness of that day.
“The selfless bravery of our emergency services, transport workers, and fellow citizens who rushed towards danger to help strangers reminds us of the very best of humanity in the face of the very worst.”
Other members of the royal family are to join services and memorials to mark the anniversary.
On behalf of the King, The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh will attend the National Service of Commemoration at St Paul’s Cathedral from 11.30am on Monday.
The Prince of Wales will join survivors of the attacks and the families of the victims for a service at the memorial gardens in Hyde Park.
The King also stressed the importance of communities coming together in times of adversity.
He said: “While the horrors will never be forgotten, we may take comfort from the way such events rally communities together in solidarity, solace and determination.
“It is this spirit of unity that has helped London, and our nation, to heal.
“As we remember those we lost, let us therefore use this 20th anniversary to reaffirm our commitment to building a society where people of all faiths and backgrounds can live together with mutual respect and understanding, always standing firm against those who would seek to divide us.”
Prime Minister: We stand together
Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer said "those who tried to divide us failed" adding "we stood together then, and we stand together now".
“Today the whole country will unite to remember the lives lost in the 7/7 attacks, and all those whose lives were changed forever.
“We honour the courage shown that day—the bravery of the emergency services, the strength of survivors, and the unity of Londoners in the face of terror.
“Those who tried to divide us failed. We stood together then, and we stand together now—against hate and for the values that define us of freedom, democracy and the rule of law.”
Watershed moment for Met
The July 7 2005 attacks were a watershed moment for the now-head of the Metropolitan Police’s counter-terrorism squad, who drove to London to help in the aftermath of the atrocities and remained in the capital for the next two decades.
In 2005 Commander Dominic Murphy had been an officer in Hertfordshire for 12 years and had trained as a bomb scene examiner before the attacks on the transport system that killed 52 people and injured hundreds more.
When he saw the horror unfolding on the television, he “did that thing that police officers shouldn’t really do” and headed to London before he had been officially deployed.
Mr Murphy told the PA news agency: “I was an officer who could be called into London or some other part of the country to help SO13 (former Met anti-terrorist branch) if they were responding to a terrorist attack, or conduct searches or support them in some way.
“And I remember sitting in the special branch office, which is our intelligence unit in Hertfordshire, and I was watching this unfold on TV, and I did that thing that police officers shouldn’t really do.
“I didn’t wait to be deployed. I spoke to my line manager and grabbed a car and all my kit and equipment and drove straight down to London to be here as quickly as I could.”
The compassion shown by the officers investigating the bombings and the speed at which they worked inspired him to spend the rest of his career in counter-terrorism.
Mr Murphy said: “I arrived in our forensic management team.
“These were the officers and staff that were leading the response at the scenes to gather the evidence and recover those that had been unfortunately killed in the incident.
“I arrived to something I would describe as a really high pace of activity, the sort of activity you would expect policing to be doing at a terrible incident like this, but of course, this was on a scale and a type of incident we had never seen.
“I was struck by all of those counter-terrorism officers from SO13 that I met, their professionalism, their commitment to finding who was responsible for this attack, their overwhelming compassion for victims… that compassion extended to how they recovered those that were deceased from the attacks.
“I was struck by the end of that first day to see the professionalism and the pace they were working at.
“I never wanted to work anywhere else.
“I really only ever wanted to work with this group of people who I thought were some of the most impressive people I’d ever seen, and just the way that commitment portrayed itself to their service to the public and the victims was overwhelming for me.
“So I had been a Hertfordshire officer for nearly 12 years at that point, but I never really went back to Hertfordshire.
“I stayed here then, and have been here in counter-terrorism for the rest of my career.”
He specialised in body recovery, and has been deployed abroad to help investigate several atrocities involving British victims or interests, including the 2015 Tunisian beach attacks as well as tragedies in Algeria, Yemen and Sudan.
The Metropolitan Police commissioner, Sir mark Rowley has today warned we are still in "difficult times", but says communities can be "assured" of the work going on to prevent terror attacks.