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Manchester survivor returns to scene days after David Beckham selfie at royal wedding

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Manchester survivor returns to scene days after David Beckham selfie at royal wedding

Manchester Arena bombing survivor Amelia Mae Thompson, 12, snapped a selfie with David Beckham at the royal wedding (Picture: Enterprise Picture)

A Manchester bomb survivor said it was hard returning the city for the first anniversary of the attack, after her selfie with David Beckham from the royal wedding went viral.

One year ago today, 22 people were killed and hundreds injured when a bomb was detonated at Ariana Grandes Manchester Arena concert.

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Amelia Mae Thompson joined other survivors and relatives of the victims outside the citys cathedral to honour the lost lives.

The 12-year-old and her mother Lisa Newton, who was with her on the night of the attack, said it was difficult coming back but praised the amazing vibe around the city.

Ms Newton, from Dronfield Woodhouse, near Sheffield, said: Before, we wanted to come to see all the flowers but we just didnt have the courage.

Amelia Thompson, 12, from Woodhouse in Sheffield, who has received an invitation to the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at Windsor Castle next month. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday April 10, 2018. Amelia was caught up in the Manchester Arena attack in May 2017. See PA story ROYAL Wedding. Photo credit should read: Peter Byrne/PA Wire

Amelia said it was hard to visit the city, but wanted to show her support to the families of the victims (Picture: PA)

People gather to see flowers and messages of support in St Ann's Square in Manchester, northwest England on May 31, 2017, placed in tribute to the victims of the May 22 terror attack at the Manchester Arena. / AFP PHOTO / OLI SCARFF (Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)

People gather to see flowers and messages of support in St Anns Square in Manchester on Tuesday (Picture: AFP)

So its the first time weve actually been right here. So that was quite hard.

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They were among the crowds when the bomb went off in the foyer at Manchester Arena and Amelia suffered trauma as well as damaged vocal cords from screaming at the horror of what she was witnessing.

Amelia added: At the moment Im alright.

Amelia said she wanted to be part of the tributes at St Anns Square to support the other families.

Her mum continued: Weve just come down here to listen to the choirs and have a walk around to the cathedral.

Members of the public observe a minutes silence in Cathedral Gardens, Manchester, during the Manchester Arena National Service of Commemoration at Manchester Cathedral, marking one year since the attack on Manchester Arena. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Picture date: Tuesday May 22, 2018. See PA story POLICE Arena. Photo credit should read: Dave Higgens/PA Wire

Members of the public watched the tributes in Cathedral Gardens, Manchester (Picture: PA)

Members of the public, one wearing an Ariana Grande t-shirt, gather outside Manchester Cathedral as The Manchester Arena National Service of Commemoration takes place in central Manchester on May 22, 2018, on the one year anniversary of the deadly attack at Manchester Arena. Prime Minister Theresa May and Prince William will on May 22, 2018 join families of the victims of the Manchester Arena bombing at a commemoration ceremony in the city on the first anniversary of the tragedy. They will attend the service at Manchester Cathedral alongside first responders, civic leaders and some of the scores injured in the suicide attack on May 22 last year, which killed 22 people. Salman Abedi, a British man of Libyan heritage, blew himself up outside the venue, which had been hosting a concert by teen pop idol Ariana Grande. / AFP PHOTO / Oli SCARFFOLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images

It was a tearful afternoon (Picture: AFP)

MERCURY PRESS. Manchester, UK. 22/5/18. Pictured: An emotional crowd gather to watch the Manchester attack anniversary service on a big screen in Manchester Cathedral Gardens this afternoon

The emotional crowd supported each other (Picture: Iain Watts/Mercury Press)

Were going to meet some of the families. Its quite a nice vibe but its hard.

Amelia and her mother were two of the lucky few members of the public who were invited to the royal wedding last Saturday.

Amelia asked her mother whether she would forfeit her chance of attending in favour of her friend Sharon Goodman, whose 15-year-old granddaughter Olivia Campbell-Hardy was killed in the attack.

But they received a call just before the wedding day saying Kensington Palace had authorised two more tickets so Ms Newton could go too.

Amelia admitted it had been quite a week with a visit to Windsor Castle topped by her encounter with Beckham and being within touching distance of the newlyweds in their carriage.

PIC BY FORTITUDE PRESS (PICTURED: CROWDS GATHER FOR A MINUTES SILENCE IN ST ANN'S SQUARE IN MANCHESTER CITY CENTRE THIS AFTERNOON (TUES) AS THE CITY MARKS THE ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE MANCHESTER ARENA BOMB WHICH TOOK THE LIVES OF 22 PEOPLE DURING AN ARIANA GRANDE CONCERT IN MAY 2017. PIC DATE: 22.05.18)

Hundreds of people took part in the one minutes silence (Picture: Fortitude Press)

thinking of you all today and every day ? I love you with all of me and am sending you all of the light and warmth I have to offer on this challenging day

— Ariana Grande (@ArianaGrande) May 22, 2018

She said: It was really pretty. I was going to the toilet and thats how I bumped into him [Beckham].

We couldnt really speak a lot because he was going to get told off for breaking protocol.

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Amelia managed to get a selfie with the iconic footballer, which went around the world.

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Ms Newton continued: It was all a bit last minute for an outfit for me but weve had such a laugh.

We were just eating our crisps and then the royal family were just stood there. It all felt a bit weird but the vibe in Windsor was just electric.

Ms Newton said people from around the world were hugging her daughter.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 22: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, (C) greets members of the clergy as he arrives at the Manchester Arena National Service of Commemoration at Manchester Cathedral on May 22, 2018 in Manchester, England. Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds injured when Salman Abedi detonated a bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017. (Photo by Paul Ellis - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

Prince William attended the ceremony (Picture: Getty Images)

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 22: Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, (C) arrives with Dean of Manchester The Very Revd Rogers Govender (R) at the Manchester Arena National Service of Commemoration at Manchester Cathedral on May 22, 2018 in Manchester, England. Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds injured when Salman Abedi detonated a bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017. (Photo by Paul Ellis - WPA Pool/Getty Images)

The Duke of Cambridge did a bible reading at the cathedral (Picture: Getty Images)

Photograph outside Manchester Cathedral for the Civic reception held for the Manchester Arena Bomb anniversary Theresa May

Prime Minister Theresa May also showed her support (Picture: MEN Media)

She added: She had a few wobbles with the crowds but we just tried to move away as fast as we could, which was sometimes difficult.

Prince William and Prime Minister Theresa May joined families of victims at the Manchester Cathedral service on Tuesday.

The Dean of Manchester said the gathering was for those whose lives were lost and those whose lives have been changed forever.

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MAY 22: People hug as they observe one minute silence as they gather to watch the outside broadcast of The Manchester Arena National Service of Commemoration at Manchester Cathedral on May 22, 2018 in Manchester, England. Twenty-two people were killed and hundreds injured when Salman Abedi detonated a bomb at the end of an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on 22 May 2017. (Photo by Leon Neal/Getty Images)

22 lives were lost on 22 May 2017 (Picture: Getty Images)

It was broadcaster to the crowds outside in Cathedral Gardens on a giant screen.

Hundreds supported each other as pictures of the victims were shown on the big screen.

The one year tributes included one minutes silence and will later see a sing-along in the city.

Undated handout photos issued by Greater Manchester Police of the 22 victims of the terror attack during the Ariana Grande concert at the Manchester Arena, (top row left to right) off-duty police officer Elaine McIver, 43, Saffie Roussos, 8, Sorrell Leczkowski, 14, Eilidh MacLeod, 14, (second row left to right) Nell Jones, 14, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, 15, Megan Hurley, 15, Georgina Callander, 18, (third row left to right), Chloe Rutherford,17, Liam Curry, 19, Courtney Boyle, 19, and Philip Tron, 32, (fourth row left to right) John Atkinson, 26, Martyn Hett, 29, Kelly Brewster, 32, Angelika Klis, 39, (fifth row left to right) Marcin Klis, 42, Michelle Kiss, 45, Alison Howe, 45, and Lisa Lees, 43 (fifth row left to right) Wendy Fawell, 50 and Jane Tweddle, 51. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Tuesday May 22, 2018. Some of the hundreds of those injured in the explosion, and the families of those killed, will be attending a remembrance service at Manchester Cathedral on Tuesday to mark one year since the atrocity. See PA story POLICE Arena. Photo credit should read: Greater Manchester Police/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

The 22 victims of the terror attack pictured above from top right; off-duty police officer Elaine McIver, 43, Saffie Roussos, 8, Sorrell Leczkowski, 14, Eilidh MacLeod, 14, (second row left to right) Nell Jones, 14, Olivia Campbell-Hardy, 15, Megan Hurley, 15, Georgina Callander, 18, (third row left to right), Chloe Rutherford,17, Liam Curry, 19, Courtney Boyle, 19, and Philip Tron, 32, (fourth row left to right) John Atkinson, 26, Martyn Hett, 29, Kelly Brewster, 32, Angelika Klis, 39, (fifth row left to right) Marcin Klis, 42, Michelle Kiss, 45, Alison Howe, 45, and Lisa Lees, 43 (fifth row left to right) Wendy Fawell, 50 and Jane Tweddle, 51 (Picture: PA)

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