Prince William joins survivors and bereaved families 20 years after 7/7 London bombings

7/7 bombings survivor Dan Biddle recalls horrific ordeal 20 years on - 'I thought I was going to die'.

GB News.
Dorothy Reddin

By Dorothy Reddin


Published: 07/07/2025

- 17:35

Updated: 07/07/2025

- 18:08

The Prince of Wales attended a memorial service in Hyde Park

Prince William joined survivors and bereaved families at a memorial service marking the 20th anniversary of the 7 July 2005 London bombings.

The Prince of Wales attended the commemoration at the 7 July Memorial Gardens in Hyde Park.


The service remembered the 52 people killed when four suicide bombers detonated explosives on three Underground trains and a bus during the morning rush hour. The attacks remain the deadliest terrorist incident on British soil.

Survivors of the coordinated attacks gathered alongside relatives of those who died in the bombings at King's Cross, Russell Square, Edgware Road and Tavistock Square. The names of all victims were read during the service, followed by a minute's silence observed both inside and outside the memorial gardens.

Prince William

Prince William joins survivors and bereaved families 20 years after 7/7 London bombings.

Getty

The service also paid tribute to two survivors who died last month. Raymond Whitehearst, who drove the Edgware Road train on that fateful morning, passed away on 2 June aged 73.

He had previously spoken about being "so upset and disturbed" by what he witnessed that day two decades ago. Dr Gerardine Quaghebeur, a consultant at the John Radcliffe Hospital, also died in June.

She had survived the Aldgate train blast despite suffering smoke inhalation and being struck by flying debris. Rather than seeking immediate help for herself, Dr Quaghebeur assisted other passengers on the train, including one who died from their injuries.

Their deaths serve as a reminder of the lasting impact the attacks had on those who survived.

Prince William

The Prince of Wales attended the commemoration at the 7 July Memorial Gardens in Hyde Park.

Reuters

Dan Biddle, the sole survivor of his train carriage, shared his harrowing experience in a recent interview. He recalled the bomber's chilling demeanour moments before the explosion.

"I could feel somebody staring at me. It was just this really unnerving feeling," Biddle said. He described how the bomber "didn't blink" and was "totally fixated" before reaching for his bag.

The blast threw Biddle onto the tracks, severing his left leg and severely damaging his right. Adrian, a South African passenger who was also injured, crawled beneath the train to reach him.

"He basically forced his hand into what was left of the leg, found the artery and pinched it shut," Biddle recounted. He spent an hour and 40 minutes amongst the dead before being rescued.

Prince William

The service also paid tribute to two survivors who died last month.

Getty

Prince William

Twenty years on, survivors and security experts continue to raise concerns about lessons learned from the attacks.

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Twenty years on, survivors and security experts continue to raise concerns about lessons learned from the attacks.

Biddle criticised the lack of a public inquiry, noting that subsequent incidents including the Manchester attack and Grenfell Tower fire received full investigations.

"I think the naivety and the arrogance of Tony Blair, to think that you can go to war in a Middle Eastern country and not have any repercussions on home soil," Biddle said. He believes intelligence services and the government "made a horrendous mistake."

Former police officer Kevin Hurley, who coordinated the emergency response, warned that "if anything else, the threat's got worse." He cited ongoing conflicts in Syria, Afghanistan and North Africa as continuing sources of radicalisation.