The Queen joined millions of Londoners in giving a message of defiance to the terrorists who bombed the London Underground yesterday, telling staff at a hospital treating victims of the blasts: "They will not change our way of life."
As London commuters returned to work in their millions, descending back into the Tube with trepidation and emerging with relief, police said that there were now 48 confirmed fatalities from the string of bombings on three trains and a double-decker bus.
But that toll was expected to rise past 50 as emergency workers gradually recover bodies from the wreckage of a Tube train stuck 500 yards down a tunnel from Russell Square.
For dozens of families, many still without news of their loved ones since they left for work yesterday, the search to find them grew ever more desperate. Parents, spouses, sons and daughters of those missing trekked around London hospitals for information.
Among them was the Royal London Hospital in East London, where the Queen paid a visit this afternoon to meet some of the survivors and pay tribute to the staff. The hospital took in casualties from the attack on a train between Aldgate East and Liverpool Street stations.
In an address to hospital employees, the Queen also spoke of her admiration for the way Londoners were "calmly determined to resume their normal lives".
"This is the answer to this outrage," she added. "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.
"But those who perpetrate these brutal acts against innocent people should know that they will not change our way of life. Atrocities such as these simply reinforce our sense of community, our humanity and our trust in the rule of law. That is the clear message from us all."
At a press conference this morning, Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, said that the attacks bore "all the hallmarks of al-Qaeda" and investigators were taking seriously an internet claim of responsibility by a previously unknown al-Qaeda grouping in Europe.
But Sir Ian tried to damp down speculation that the attack on the No 30 bus was in fact Britain's first recorded suicide bomb attack, fuelled by reports from witnesses about a man anxiously fiddling around in his bag.. "We have absolutely nothing to suggest that this was a suicide bombing attack," he said.
Around 700 people were injured by the four bombs, of whom 350 were taken to hospital. Sir Ian said that 22 people remained in intensive care at various London hospitals and one person had died in hospital.
Tony Blair was flying back tonight from the G8 summit in Gleneagles after announcing deals tackling climate change and poverty in Africa.
"I speak today in the shadow of terrorism, but it will not obscure what we came here to achieve," he said, flanked by the other world leaders attending the G8 conference
"The purpose of terrorism is not only to kill and maim the innocent, it is to put despair and anger and hatred in people's hearts.
"By its savagery, it aims to cover all conventional politics in darkness, to overwhelm the dignity of democracy and proper process with the impact of bloodshed and of terror. There is no hope in terrorism, nor any future worth living. And it is hope that is the alternative to this hatred. So we offer today this contrast with the politics of terror."
The confirmed death toll this morning had stood at 37 people - 21 killed in the blast between Russell Square and King's Cross, seven near Aldgate East in the City, seven at Edgware Road and two on the bus at Tavistock Square in Bloomsbury. Sir Ian this afternoon said that there were 13 confirmed deaths on the bus, bringing the toll to 48.
Assistant Commissioner Andy Hayman, who is leading the investigation into the attacks, said that each of the four devices used by the terrorists contained less than 10lb of high explosive.
Mr Hayman said the bomb on each of the three trains appeared to have been placed on the floor of the carriages. It was not yet known if the bomb on the bus had been on the seat or floor of the bus - a point that investigators will be keen to clear up.
Scotland Yard's anti-terrorist investigators have not confirmed which group is behind the attacks - although they are taking seriously an internet claim of responsibility from a previously unknown al-Qaeda cell in Europe - but are working closely with community groups to track down the perpetrators.
Members of the public with information that might be helpful have been asked to phone the Met's anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321.
Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary, denied that there had been any intelligence failure over the attack despite the fact that the country's terrorist alert level had been lowered in the past month. He said the attack "simply came out of the blue".
"The fact is we have a very effective intelligence service but we didn’t predict this particular attack at this particular time," Mr Clarke said. "The reason for that is we are always looking for a small number of very evil needles in a very large haystack, which is the city of London."
As London returned gradually to normal, Scotland Yard ensured that there was an increased and visible police presence throughout the capital. Extra patrols included officers from the Metropolitan Police, the City of London Police and British Transport Police.
Much of the city's transport network was working this morning, although the early rush hour was disrupted by a series of security alerts and closures in the stations and sections of the Underground directly affected by yesterday's bombings. Bouquets of flowers were gathering at Kings Cross and Edgware Road, two of the stations hit by explosions.
Ken Livingstone, the London Mayor, arrived back from a meeting at Singapore which saw London win the right to host the 2012 Olympics just two days ago and said it had been a week of "triumph and tragedy" for London with the Live 8 concert, Olympic victory followed by the blasts.
Mr Livingstone paid tribute to the "incredible response of stoicism and discipline and order" that Londoners displayed after the attacks, which he said had helped minimise the casualties, along with the "flawless" execution of disaster plans.
He added: "I personally will use the Underground to go to work on Monday as normal and that is the advice I give to Londoners - that we carry on in this city, working and enjoying our city as we do every other day of the year."
