Queen Elizabeth II visited a children’s hospital today in Manchester and met with young survivors of the deadly blast that killed 22 people after an Ariana Grande concert. 
 
 The queen, wearing an orange hat and carrying a black clutch, arrived at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital this morning after the U.K. held a national moment of silence for the victims of the blast. 
 
 The 91-year-old monarch met with some of the hospital’s nurses and doctors and visited the hospital rooms of survivors, including a 15-year-old girl who was wearing an Ariana Grande T-shirt and surrounded by balloons and stuffed animals. 
 
 Queen Elizabeth asked the girl, identified as 15-year-old Millie Robson, if she had enjoyed the show. Millie told the queen she met Grande backstage before the concert. 
 
 The Queen speaks to Millie Robson, aged 15, from County Durham, and her mum, Marie at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. pic.twitter.com/9yJem1gt88 — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 25, 2017 
 
 Her Majesty is meeting nursing staff, paediatric doctors & surgeons who are treating victims & supporting their families in Manchester. pic.twitter.com/KAYcbhnQJ6 — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 25, 2017 
 
 The Monday night blast at Manchester Arena killed at least 22 people and left dozens injured. The blast, which occurred in the venue's foyer, came at the conclusion of Grande’s concert, just after pink balloons had fallen from the arena's ceiling. 
 
 Grande's audience at Manchester Arena was mostly young people, many of them teens and pre-teens wearing the singer's signature bunny ears. The queen called it "very wicked" to "target that sort of thing." 
 
 Queen Elizabeth also met with a 14-year-old girl and her parents and a 12-year-old girl and her mom. The queen told one of the families it was "very interesting how everybody has united" in the wake of the attack. 
 
 Her Majesty meets Evie Mills, aged 14, from Harrogate, her mum, Karen and dad, Craig at the hospital in Manchester. pic.twitter.com/DK14fFRGQS — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 25, 2017 
 
 Whilst at the hospital in Manchester, The Queen spoke to 12-year-old Amy Barlow, from Rawtenstall, and her mum, Kathy. pic.twitter.com/nzYPo5cgu3 — The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) May 25, 2017 
 
 She also met with a mother who was injured while waiting for her 12-year-old daughter at the concert. The woman, identified as Ruth Murrell, told the queen her daughter attended the concert with a friend. The friend’s mother died in the blast. 
 
 Peter Byrne/AP Photo 
 
 Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital has 371 beds and is the "largest single-site children's hospital in the U.K.," according to its website. 
 
 The Queen visiting @RMCHosp today will have meant a lot to the patients and staff. Thank you for the kind words and support. pic.twitter.com/6B2dO6OvOx — RMCH Charity (@RMCHcharity) May 25, 2017 
 
 The queen issued a statement quickly after the attack, saying, “The whole nation has been shocked.” 
 
 “I know I speak for everyone in expressing my deepest sympathy to all who have been affected by this dreadful event and especially to the families and friends of those who have died or were injured,” the statement read. ||||| Queen Elizabeth made a surprise visit to a children’s hospital that is treating many of the young victims of the horrific tragedy that followed the Ariana Grande concert on Monday, telling one patient that the suicide bombing was “dreadful” and “very wicked.” 
 
 The monarch arrived at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital at around 11:20 a.m. Thursday, shortly after Britain had fallen silent for a minute in tribute to the dead and injured as well as their families and loved ones. 
 
 Queen Elizabeth told 14-year-old Evie Mills, who received the concert tickets a birthday present, and her parents, “It’s dreadful. Very wicked. To target that sort of thing,” The Telegraph reports. 
 
 The Queen reassured them that “everyone is united” following the attack. 
 
 She then told the teen that she thought Ariana Grande was a “very good singer,” adding: “She sounds very, very good.” 
 
 The Queen also met with Millie Robson, 15, who wore an Ariana Grande T-shirt as her surprise guest asked if she enjoyed the concert prior to the attack. The teen then shared that she had won VIP passes and met the pop star backstage. 
 
 The royal visitor wished Millie a quick recovery. 
 
 REX/Shutterstock 
 
 “It’s not something you expect at all,” the Queen told Mille’s father, who was waiting at the exit of the arena when the bomb exploded. 
 
 Emily Murrell, 12, missed the Queen’s visit due to a surgery. Her mother Ruth, who was also recovering in the hospital after being hit with shrapnel when the bomb went off, said her daughter would be disappointed. 
 
 Queen Elizabeth also met 12-year-old Amy Barlow and her mother, Kathy. 
 
 Twenty-two people died, many of them teens and children, and around 75 were injured in the attack at Manchester Arena on Monday. 
 
 REX/Shutterstock 
 
 REX/Shutterstock 
 
 In a brief tour, the Queen met doctors, nurses and others who have helped save lives in the days since Monday’s attack. The Queen also met the head of the National Health Service trust and the chief nurse and the chief executive. 
 
 “The awful thing was that everyone was so young. The age of them,” she told one member of the staff. 
 
 The hospital is one of the most important in the U.K. and treats 200,000 people a year. 
 
 REX/Shutterstock 
 
 REX/Shutterstock 
 
 WATCH: Homeless Manchester Man Helped Those in Need Following The Suicide Bombing at Ariana Grande Concert 
 
 In a statement signed Elizabeth R. and issued by Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, the monarch said: “The whole nation has been shocked by the death and injury in Manchester last night of so many people, adults and children, who had just been enjoying a concert. 
 
 “I know I speak for everyone in expressing my deepest sympathy to all who have been affected by this dreadful event and especially to the families and friends of those who have died or were injured.” 
 
 And she praised those who rushed to help. “I want to thank all the members of the emergency services, who have responded with such professionalism and care,” her statement added. “And I would like to express my admiration for the way the people of Manchester have responded, with humanity and compassion, to this act of barbarity.” 
 
 The deadly explosion occurred around 10:33 p.m. local time near the ticket office outside Manchester Arena, Greater Manchester Police Chief Constable Ian Hopkins said. Investigators suspect the attack was carried out by Salman Abedi, 22, who detonated an improvised explosive device and died at the scene, Hopkins said. 
 
 According to the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant communication, ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack. ||||| In a few simple words during a visit to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital to meet the young victims of the terrorist bombing, the Queen encapsulated the horror of an attack that has left the nation reeling. 
 
 “It’s dreadful, very wicked, to target that sort of thing,” the Queen said to 14-year-old schoolgirl Evie Mills, who she met lying on her hospital bed with a teddy by her side, and a blanket shrouding her injured chest and legs. 
 
 The Queen later added as she toured the children's ward viewing at first hand the carnage of Monday night's attack: “the awful thing was that everyone was so young.” 
 
 During her 65 years of reign, the Queen has occasionally made visits to hospital to help lead the nation in moments of national grieving. 
 
 She did so after the 7/7 terror attacks in London and also to meet servicemen and women injured fighting for their country. 
 
 But never have so many children been among the victims. There are 14 inpatients remaining at the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital following the attack, including five in critical care. 
 
 Among those continuing to recover from their injuries in the hospital was Millie Robson, 15, from Co Durham, who was still wearing her Ariana Grande concert t-shirt that she had specially chosen for the concert at the Manchester Arena.
– Queen Elizabeth brought smiles to the faces of victims of the terror attack in Manchester when she made a surprise visit to a hospital Thursday. "It's dreadful, very wicked, to target that sort of thing," she told one 14-year-old victim lying in a bed at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital. When the teen explained that she'd received tickets to see Ariana Grande for her birthday, the 91-year-old queen revealed that she, too, is a fan of the pop star, reports People. She is a "very good singer. She sounds very, very good," she said. A mother injured in the blast as her daughter attended the concert told the queen that the mother of one of her daughter's friends had been among the 22 killed, per ABC News. "It just means such a lot that you've come today," she told the queen, per the Telegraph. In a statement, the queen—who also met with hospital staff—expressed her "deepest sympathy to all who have been affected by this dreadful event." She added, "the whole nation has been shocked."