Queen Elizabeth and Prince William visit Grenfell Tower centre meeting residents and emergency workers

Royals spend roughly 45 minutes speaking to those affected by the tragedy

Queen Elizabeth II meets members of the community affected by the fire at Grenfell Tower in west London (PA)

Queen Elizabeth and Prince William have visited residents, volunteers and emergency service personnel at a makeshift relief centre for Grenfell Tower fire victims.

The royals were met by a crowd of around 40 people at the Westway Sports Centre near the remains of the burned out building in north Kensington

The Queen paid tribute to the "bravery" of firefighters and the "incredible generosity" of volunteers, while Prince William, a strong campaigner on mental health issues, said it was important that those affected spoke about their trauma.

Loubna Aghzafi, 42, told the Duke of Cambridge that many were simply not ready to share their experiences.

He replied: "They may want to eventually. They must talk about it."

He spent 45 minutes greeting people with his grandmother.

The visit came after Theresa May was criticised for not meeting victims earlier this week. Defence Minister Tobias Ellwood later said "security concerns" had prevented her from doing so.

By contrast, Jeremy Corbyn was pictured hugging a local councillor and greeting those who lost everything in the blaze.

The Prime Minister did however, visit survivors of the Grenfell Tower fire in hospital, speaking to patients for almost an hour.

She will also chair a cross-Whitehall meeting on how the authorities can help affected communities and victims recover.

Police said at least 30 people had died in the fire, including at least one person who was taken to hospital.

However, more than 70 people are believed to be unaccounted for and investigators fear was so devastating that some victims may never be identified.