The Queen’s advisors feared for her safety on visit to Grenfell—‘it was very scary’

The Queen’s advisors had doubts about her visiting Grenfell after the tragedy, a royal insider has revealed. 

• The Queen's advisors were unsure if she should visit Grenfell Tower in light of the criticism waged at Prime Minister Theresa May and Mayor of London Sadiq Khan. 
• Her Majesty and Prince William went ahead with the somber engagement, traveling to the London flats to meet victims of the deadly fire and to extend thanks to brave emergency workers. 
• In other royal news, Prince Harry to reunite with Royal Family for 'historic' Prince Philip tribute.
  

The Queen's advisors had concerns about her visiting Grenfell following its devastating fire in 2017, a royal insider has revealed. 

Her Majesty and Prince William made an appearance at the London tower of flats on 16 June, two days after it was struck by a deadly blaze that killed 72 people. 

Their arrival at the nearby rest center was welcomed by victims and volunteers, many of whom shared their harrowing accounts of the tragic night with the senior royals. 

However, it has now been revealed that the Queen wasn’t sure if she should visit Grenfell, in light of the criticism of political figures like the then Prime Minister Theresa May and the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan. She even sought advice from Sir Ken Olisa, the first black Lord-Lieutenant for London, on whether or not she should show her face. 

“I remember thinking as it all happened, it was quite scary, we didn’t know whether she would be booed or have things thrown at her, etc, and when she got out of the car all these people applauded,” the royal insider told Channel 4. 

The Queen and Prince William stayed at Grenfell for 45 minutes, listening to those affected and offering their deepest sympathies. They also personally thanked the emergency workers at the scene and signed a book of condolences by a wall that was covered with photos of missing people feared to have perished in the fire. 

William called the incident “one of the most terrible things I have ever seen”, before highlighting the importance of mental health treatment for survivors and witnesses of the tragedy. 

The Queen and the Duke of Cambridge did receive some backlash from the crowds, however, as they made their way to leave. A number of people called to them to stay longer, prompting William to shout, “I’ll come back, I’ll come back!” 

Sir Ken Olisa has also revealed that the Royal Family is very conscious of the racial divisions in the UK and seeks to "bind society to remove these barriers." 

"They [the royals] care passionately about making this one nation bound by the same values," he added. 

When asked if Buckingham Palace is in support of the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement, he replied, "The answer is easily yes." 

The statements come just a few months after the Queen was forced to respond to allegations of racism against the Royal Family, following Meghan Markle and Prince Harry's bombshell interview with Oprah in March. 

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex claimed that concerns had been raised about Archie's potential skin color by a senior royal but refused to identify the individual who made the remark. The Queen subsequently released a statement, in which she acknowledged the seriousness of the accusations but added that "recollections may vary". This sentence didn't go down too well with Harry and Meghan, who reportedly believe the Queen failed to take 'accountability' after the accusations.