Yahoo News Grenfell fire memorial: Royals attend St Paul's Cathedral service
Members of the Royal family have joined victims of the Grenfell Tower fire at a memorial service in St Paul's Cathedral.
The Prince of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and Prince Harry were among those who will remember the 71 people who died in the blaze.
Around 1,500 people - including survivors, those who lost loved-ones and rescue workers - are attending the multi-faith service on Thursday, which is exactly six months after the fire.
Prime Minister Theresa May, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and Communities Secretary Sajid Javid are some of the politicians attending.
But Elizabeth Campbell, the leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council, will not be present after some families said they did not want the council to attend in an official capacity.
The council said that all its elected Tories had been told to stay away from the service, while Labour councillors had been invited.
The authority has been blamed for the fire in the 24-storey block in which 71 people, including a stillborn baby, died on June 14.
Survivors are angry that many are still in temporary accommodation as Christmas approaches.
The Bishop of Kensington, who is leading the service to mark six months since the tragedy, said tensions between the victims' relations and the Conservative-run council led to the decision to exclude them.
The service is to include messages of support for the bereaved, offering strength and hope for the future "for those of all faiths and none".
A banner with the Grenfell Heart will be displayed in the domed building, while the Ebony Steel Band, the Portobello Road Salvation Army Band, an Islamic girls' choir from the Al Sadiq and Al Zahra Schools, and the St Paul's Cathedral Choir will perform.
A pre-recorded sound montage of anonymous voices from the Grenfell community will also be played.
Following the service, bereaved families and survivors will leave the cathedral together in silence, holding white roses.
An opportunity for 'words of healing and truth'
Clarrie Mendy, whose cousin Mary Mendy and her daughter Khadija died in the fire, helped to shape the service.
She said she had asked for the event to be held at St Paul's Cathedral and that she hoped the names of the 53 adults and 18 children who died would be read out as a mark of respect and recognition.
Ms Mendy said: "I think a lot of people are anticipating and looking forward to this service at St Paul's. I know there's a lot of expectations. I know there's a lot of diversity from your normal tradition.
"I just hope this service resonates with people, with the hunger people have spiritually.
"A lot of people, right now there's no trust in the Government, a lot of people have more faith and trust in their religion."
She added: "I just hope it measures up to everybody's expectations and people will ... a lot of family will find healing from the messages, the sermons, and I hope it's soul-enriching.
"I hope there's words that will just echo and resonate, and say, 'yes, there is empathy, there is humanity, there is hope for the world', because I think this service is the platform that can really start to change humanity depending on the right words and - it's a church, people of god - how they convey the message to mankind.
"I hope I'm just not hoping for too much, but I am expecting a lot from this service, especially words of healing, and of truth."
Royals a constant strand of support
Ben Gabbitas, whose close friend Sheila died in the fire, hailed the Royals' presence as a constant strand of support through the uncertainty of the past six months.
The 48-year-old said healing would take a long time and that "the service and people's faith is an important part of what's getting them through".
Mr Gabbitas said he had been immediately struck by the way the tragedy touched the nation, praising the "almost immediate spontaneous, visceral response of people wishing to help".
He said: "Another unifying force was the presence of the sovereign, which seemed almost immediate again in terms of they hardly needed to be consulted.
"I think the nation at that point appreciated her being present, and particularly William and Harry, and I think that was a unifying force of which there were no politicians who managed that."
The royals' numerous visits to the community since the fire formed a thread which has led to their presence at the service, he said, adding: "That is wonderful that there is recognition at that level, and as I said it was one of the only unifying forces and at these times I guess we are more thankful we have a royal family and its place within our society."
Council leader: We hope to rebuild trust
Kensington and Chelsea Council leader Elizabeth Campbell will not be present after some families said they did not want the council to attend in an official capacity.
She said: "It is only right that we respect the wishes of those involved in the service.
"It is being held for the people who lost everything on that terrible night six months ago, and it is in memory of those who tragically lost their lives.
"I want them to know that we will be thinking of them. We hope to rebuild trust, but we understand that we have a long way to go."
The council will instead mark the occasion with a minute's silence at 11am at the town hall in High Street Kensington.
Met Police chief: Scale of fire 'almost unimaginable'
Metropolitan Police Service Commissioner Cressida Dick said the fire was a "tragedy of such a scale it is almost unimaginable" and said today was a day when "we should all reflect and remember what so many lost that terrible night".
She added: "My officers and staff are committed to doing everything in our power to support those so deeply affected and to carry out a thorough and effective investigation."
Video: How the tragedy unfolded
What we know about Grenfell six months later
Victims
Police believe 293 people were in the 129-flat Grenfell Tower on the night of the fire, of which 223 escaped, based on CCTV and body-worn video.
The final death toll was put at 71, including stillborn baby Logan Gomes, following an arduous process of recovering and identifying remains from the block. Westminster Coroner Fiona Wilcox said this was "highly unlikely" to change.
The youngest child victim was Leena Belkadi, found dead in her mother's arms at just six months old, while the oldest was grandmother Sheila Smith, 84.
Three generations of the same family were killed on the 22nd floor: grandmother Sirria Choucair, 60, was found dead with Bassem Choukair, 40, his wife Nadia Choucair, 33, and their children Mierna Choucair, 13, Fatima Choucair, 11 and Zeinab Chouciar, three.
A total of 400 people were listed as missing in the aftermath of the blaze. One person was reported missing 46 times.
Bodies of some victims were so badly damaged by the fire that they had to be identified using anthropology, meaning their remains were meticulously reconstructed, and by consulting secondary, supportive evidence.
Inquests were opened and adjourned for 70 of the victims across 19 hearings spanning five months.
Survivors
Kensington and Chelsea Council said 209 households from the tower, consisting of both families and single people, required rehousing following the fire. This figure is higher than the 129 flats, due to "changing housing compositions", the council said, understood to include families with children over 18 becoming two households, rather than one.
As of December 12, 111 families remained in emergency accommodation - mainly hotels.
Only 45 households had moved into a permanent address and 54 into a temporary home, despite the council pledging to get every resident out of hotels by Christmas.
Of those still in hotels, 29 have children, the council said
Forty-nine families have accepted permanent housing offers but have yet to move.
The council hoped to bolster its housing stock by an extra 300 properties by Christmas to meet the demand.
Police investigation
Kensington and Chelsea Council, which owned Grenfell Tower, and the Kensington and Chelsea Tenant Management Organisation (KCTMO), which formerly managed the estate, are being investigated by the Metropolitan Police on suspicion of corporate manslaughter. Further criminal charges could follow.
The council funded a refurbishment which saw a flammable cladding system wrapped round the 24-storey block, a process designed and overseen by the KCTMO, an arms-length body which worked on behalf of the council, in conjunction with contractor Rydon.
Investigators said in September that they had seized 31 million documents and 2,500 exhibits, identified 2,400 different individuals to speak to and taken more than 1,000 statements.
More than 300 different organisations were identified as having had some kind of involvement in working on Grenfell Tower.
Eight people have been charged or are under investigation for fraud in connection with the disaster. In November Anh Nhu Nguyen, 52, admitted two counts of fraud after claiming his wife and son died in the blaze, to pocket £12,500 intended to help victims.
Response
The Government earmarked an extra £28 million to help with the aftermath of the fire, including £15 million to invest into the estate on which Grenfell Tower stands, Lancaster West.
The council matched the £15 million cash injection for the neighbourhood.
The KCTMO was stripped of its responsibility over the 9,000 property housing stock in Kensington and is faced with the prospect of being disbanded.
Grenfell Tower will be returned to the council in the spring, after police conducted a finger-tip search and removed 15.5 tonnes of debris from each floor.
It is currently being covered by white sheeting, floor by floor, ahead of a planned demolition at the end of 2018.
Inquiries
The Grenfell Tower public inquiry has held three preliminary hearings and hopes to begin evidence hearings in the new year, with an interim report planned for the spring. More than 400 individuals and groups were given core participant status.
The Equality and Human Rights Commission announced this week that it would carry out its own review, following concerns the public probe, led by Sir Martin Moore-Bick, would neglect human rights concerns. It aims to conclude its work by April 2018.
Dame Judith Hackitt is carrying out an independent review of building regulations and fire safety, which will submit its final report next spring. The investigation was ordered after it was suggested outdated building regulations led to high-rise towers across the country having dangerous cladding systems installed on them.
