A day too late to be with the people. They should've come down from up high, and stay with their loyal crowds for a few minutes at least.

By AVA | May 2, 2009 5:28 PM

Ava, the hospital or the scene of an attack are not dinner parties. The royals attract a lot of security, crowds and media. Aside from the risk to them, their presence would also hamper police and doctors and emergency responders who are trying to save people's lives. Why do you feel you are in charge of disaster-response protocol? Sounds to me a bit like you have a grudge against them ("come down from up high"? They were on a bus, not atop an ivory pillar!)

By JM | May 2, 2009 6:15 PM

May the Good Lord be with you all involved. viva Hause of Orange from the USA

By howard de la chappelle | May 2, 2009 6:46 PM

My sincere sympathy to all the families and friends of this terrible tragedy.I doubt if our senior Royals would have been so quick off the mark to visit the hospital if this tragedy had happened in the United Kingdom.God bless all of you. David London.

By David | May 2, 2009 8:16 PM

The remarks by AVA chatising the Royal family for not "coming down" to help out?" Are you serious? In the shock confusion and uncertainty of a possible terrorist attack,trap... Of course they shouldn't "come down" Nice they visited the injured after such a needless tragedy

By bet | May 2, 2009 11:25 PM

Hail to the Queen and other Royals that paid a visit to the surviving victims. I admire them for doing it and so quickly. They were taking a risk by doing so. Who is to say that this person wasn't part of a larger group planning to do harm to the Queen and her Court.

Condolenscenes go out to those who lost beloved family members, by this horrible act of violence.

By lb | May 3, 2009 2:28 PM

Some lessons to be learnt from this sad and unfortunate day :
1. HRH Queen and the Royal Family members are financed by Public Tax payers and as a result the Royal Family has become a traditional public institution. Long live the HRH Queen and the Royal Family members.
2. Police and Security personnel should focus their attention on all possible realistic threats (including their own kind), rather than over-emphasize on imaginary threats in the realms of Hollywood and TV movies (which are normally ill-conceived or conceptualized by fancy imagination or pure speculation during their office-overtime or pub happy-hours at the expense of public tax payers).
3. There requires to be First Aid or Para-medics squad present during such public days just in the event of a situation.
4. There should be a compensation fund set-up for the remaining relatives of the victims.
5. Erect a ceremonial monument in remembrance of the victims of this tragic event. So that wreaths of flowers can be laid on the same day April 30 in the future.
6. Imaginary threats which are usually misguided suspicions, mistrust and unfounded subjective accusations made on the spur of the moment by respectable personnel (from the police force or security agency or government officials or news-media reporters), in the same society are ill-judged, unjustifiable, counter-productive and are generally socially unhealthy for the long-term wellbeing of the whole society.
7. There are limitations to freedom of human expression and behavior which are dictated not only by superficial national and international laws or symbolic publicity court cases, but in real by common sense, reasonable human logic and mutual respect for individual communities in same civilized society.

By Small Brother | May 3, 2009 10:14 PM

Our love and prayers, to the families involved, come to you from Canada.

By Nolly | May 3, 2009 11:01 PM

AVA, have you really thought your remark through? I take my hat off to the Royal family, their quick response, etc... our love and prayers to the Royal family, the families and the community involved

By VS | May 4, 2009 12:12 PM

The thing that gets me about this tragedy is that we keep focusing on the man who attempted to harm the Royal Family. We need to focus on the victims who lost their lives and those who survived. I just received word this morning that my cousin was among the dead of this tragedy. The families of all those killed and injured will forever have in their heads how they were killed and injured as the video and pictures continue to surface. Please continue to help the families cope with this horrendous tragedy. To my family, know that I love you and cherish you. I wish I could be there in person to comfort you during this time. My thoughts and prayers are with you. Calgary, Alberta, Canada

By Judy Bartholomeusz | May 5, 2009 4:26 PM