ReactionQueen Elizabeth has said the London bombers will not change the British way of life but will rather reinforce the sense of community, humanity and trust in the rule of law.
A Buckingham Palace spokesman said the sovereign's unusual decision to speak so soon after Thursday's atrocity in which more than 50 people died underlined the gravity of the situation.
The queen delivered her answer to the bombers during a visit to the Royal London Hospital where she and the Duke of Edinburgh spoke to survivors of the attacks and thanked staff for their work during the rescue operation.
As Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall visited St Mary's Hospital in Paddington and the Duke of York met members of London's emergency services, the queen thanked all those "working with such care, professionalism and sensitivity, often in very difficult conditions" and told them: "You have the respect of us all."
She expressed her admiration for the people of London "who in the aftermath of bombings are calmly determined to resume their normal lives". And she declared: "That is the answer to this outrage. Sadly we in Britain have been all too familiar with acts of terror and members of my generation, especially at this end of London, know that we have been here before."
Clearly echoing her government's anxiety that the bombings should not sour community relations, or lead to any form of backlash against the Muslim community in particular, the queen vowed: "Those who perpetrate these brutal acts against innocent people should know that they will not change our way of life. Atrocities such as this simply reinforce our sense of community, our humanity and our trust in the rule of law. That is the clear message from us all."
That was also the message from Metropolitan Police commissioner Sir Ian Blair yesterday, as frantic relatives and friends of people missing since the explosions desperately searched hospitals in search of their loved ones.
Promising "the implacable resolve" of the Met to "bend every sinew" to bring those responsible to justice, Sir Ian stressed it was communities who would ultimately bring the terrorists to book.
The Muslim Council of Britain reported receiving thousands of hate messages through the internet and police were investigating a reported arson attack on a mosque in Leeds. Police said the small fire in the Armley area of Leeds was being treated as suspicious.
The incident came as Muslim leaders from across the city came together to write a letter to British prime minister Tony Blair expressing their "deepest anger and sympathy at the terrible atrocities committed in London".
The letter declared: "These actions, committed by whomever, are despicable and cowardly in the way they targeted innocent individuals. Such actions have no place in our society and we strongly and unequivocally condemn these barbaric actions which are an attempt to damage our democracy, freedom and community relations."
However, Sir Ian praised the reaction of London's communities, saying: "This is Friday, the day of prayer for Islam. There have been no disturbances, no difficulty at any of the London mosques, and that's a great step forward."
Confirming that people from Sierra Leone, Australia, Portugal and China were among the injured, the commissioner also said: "This was an attack not only on London but on human beings from all over the world. This was an attack which was entirely arbitrary, random, irrespective of race, religion, colour, gender or age." He also stressed that the heightened security threat was also a matter of national concern, extending beyond London as police forces across Britain reviewed their anti-terrorist arrangements.
With most London bus and rail services resuming normal service but some schools remaining closed and many choosing to work from home or have the day off, the commissioner and London mayor Ken Livingstone also promised "business as usual" in the capital on Monday.
Mr Livingstone rejected suggestions that the bombings were motivated by Britain's involvement in the Iraq war, warning that other great world cities could as easily be a target. And in another emotional rebuke to the bombers he declared: "Watch next week as we bury our dead and mourn them. But see also on this same day new people coming to this city to make it their home and calling themselves Londoners and doing it because of the freedom to be themselves."
Declaring that the capital's emergency procedures had worked like clockwork, the mayor said: "We all knew that at some point this was likely to happen and I think the work we have done has minimised it." But he warned: "I think we shall have to be extra vigilant, probably for the rest of our lives."
Less than 90 of those injured remained in hospital last night, but more than 20 were still in a critical condition. Many have already undergone surgery for lost limbs, burns and body injuries, while doctors say some still face multiple operations .