Prince William is presented with a custom football shirt by Grenfell survivors and bereaved families during visit to QPR stadium ahead of the sixth anniversary of the tower blaze
- The Prince of Wales visited Queens Park Rangers’ stadium in west London today
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The Prince of Wales has been presented with a custom football shirt by Grenfell survivors and bereaved families during a visit to Queens Park Rangers’ stadium ahead of the sixth anniversary of the tower blaze.
Prince William, 40, was given the T-shirt – which featured a green heart and the number 72 on the front in tribute to the victims who lost their lives due to the fire – at QPR’s Loftus Road ground this afternoon.
During his visit, the royal father-of-three heard how the football club provided support in the aftermath of the devastating blaze.
Grenfell is less than a mile from QPR’s ground in Shepherd’s Bush, West London, and the fire, on June 14 2017, which claimed 72 lives, shocked the nation.
The prince, who is president of the Football Association, also heard from former QPR and England striker Les Ferdinand, chief executive officer of the QPR in the Community Trust, about his organisation’s response to the fire.
Prince William is presented with a custom football shirt by Grenfell survivors and bereaved families during his visit to QPR stadium this afternoon
William then sat down with community and youth workers funded by the trust who are supporting those affected by the fire in areas like mentoring, mental health and personal development.
Grenfell survivors, bereaved families and local residents who have been involved in organising and participating in football matches like Game 4 Grenfell and the recent Grenfell Memorial Cup also met the future king.
They discussed the impact of the fire on their lives, how football has helped, and what the future holds for them almost six years on.
Last year, William and Kate, 41, attended a memorial service marking the fifth anniversary of the fire, organised by Grenfell United at the foot of Grenfell tower.
Attendees marked the memorial with a 72-second silence in memory of the 72 victims of the fire.
Mourners donned green scarves and clothing to match the green hearts which adorn the wall below the 220ft tower, and which have become a powerful symbol representing the memory of those lost in the tragedy.
Green balloons were later released in memory of the 18 children who perished in the deadly blaze.
The prince, who is president of the Football Association, heard from former QPR and England striker Les Ferdinand, chief executive officer of the QPR in the Community Trust, about his organisation’s response to the fire
The Prince of Wales appeared keen to chat with the people he met when at the QPR stadium
Grenfell survivors, bereaved families and local residents who have been involved in organising and participating in football matches like Game 4 Grenfell and the recent Grenfell Memorial Cup also met the future king (pictured left)
They discussed the impact of the fire on their lives, how football has helped, and what the future holds for them almost six years on. Pictured, William being presented with a shirt by Grenfell survivors and bereaved
William (pictured left) sat down with community and youth workers funded by the trust who are supporting those affected by the fire in areas like mentoring, mental health and personal development
The Prince of Wales during a visit to Loftus Road, the home of Queens Park Rangers in west London
Prince William heard how the club has provided invaluable support in the immediate aftermath and in the years since the fire
The Prince of Wales (left) meets Les Ferdinand during a visit to Loftus Road this afternoon
The Prince of Wales meets CEO Lee Hoos and QPR Trust CEO Andy Evans during a visit to Loftus Road
The Prince of Wales visited Queens Park Rangers’ stadium to meet Grenfell survivors and bereaved families ahead of the sixth anniversary of the tower blaze
At last year’s event, eight-year-old Ayeesha, who survived the fire, also recited a poem she wrote called Never Forget, which was met with raucous applause from both Prince William and Kate.
She said: ‘We will stay strong, we will rise up as a community, we will fight for justice together, we will always remember our friends and our neighbours, we will always remember our home.
‘We can’t change the past but we can change the future. Never forget.’
The Prince and Princess of Wales have long supported those directly affected by the disaster.
William, along with his late grandmother, the Queen, visited the site in west London in the days following the fire in June 2017.
And the Prince was joined by his wife when they met with survivors as part of the launch of the National Emergencies Trust in 2019.
The Prince of Wales is presented with a football shirt by Grenfell survivors and bereaved
William (pictured today, at the stadium), along with his late grandmother, the Queen, visited the Grenfell site in west London in the days following the fire in June 2017
The Prince of Wales speaks to staff after a visit to Loftus Road, the home of Queens Park Rangers in west London
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