LIVE Prince William and Kate Middleton unveil Glade of Light memorial to Manchester Arena victims

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are today officially unveiling a memorial to honour the 22 who lost their lives in the Manchester Arena bombing five years ago.

William and Kate are expected at a short service of remembrance at the Glade of Light tribute in Manchester city centre - a white marble 'halo' which bears the names of those who lost their lives in the May 2017 atrocity. Prince William is due to speak at the ceremony in front of bereaved families and Kate is expected to lay flowers.

The couple will also join a private reception inside Manchester Cathedral afterwards to speak to some of the bereaved families and those involved in the response effort, Kensington Palace said. The tribute, which first opened to the public in January, is located alongside the cathedral and was designed following an international competition.

Personalised memory capsules, filled with memories and mementoes of those killed provided by their loved ones, have been embedded within the stone. It is conceived as a living memorial – a peaceful garden space for remembrance and reflection, featuring plants which grow naturally in the UK countryside selected to provide year-round colour and echo the changing seasons.

Around the anniversary every year, May 22, the white flowers of a hawthorn tree planted at its centre will bloom. William previously attended a National Service of Commemoration at the cathedral in 2018 to remember those who lost their lives.

Hundreds of people were injured alongside the 22 who died, who included six children under 16 with the youngest aged just eight, in the attack by suicide bomber Salman Abedi at the end of an Ariana Grande concert.

We'll be bringing you live updates from the Royal visit below

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