The Prince and Princess of Wales visit Southport to meet families of children killed in stabbing attack and emergency first responders.
The Prince and Princess of Wales have made a visit to Southport, a town in the country’s North-West, where several children were killed in a stabbing attack earlier this year. The royal couple held a private meeting with the families of the three girls killed and their dance teacher. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, were all fatally stabbed during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 in the north-west seaside town.
It was Princess Catherine’s first official public function since she announced last month she was no longer receiving chemotherapy. Catherine and her husband, the Prince of Wales, spent about 90 minutes speaking to the victims’ families. During Thursday’s visit, local time, the emergency workers told the royal couple of their struggle to deal with the mental toll of the attack. Catherine urged them to show self-compassion and “look after yourselves”. “You’re all heroes,” she said.
William told the responders: “You’re all heroes. Please make sure you look after yourselves, please take your time, don’t rush back to work.” Away from the cameras, Kate hugged members of the fire, ambulance, police and air ambulance. It is understood the engagement was planned as a solo visit for William, but Kate decided to join her husband in order to show her support, empathy and compassion for the local community. During their meeting in the community centre garden, Kate said the responders had been supporting people through their “darkest times”. “For you to witness that, you need support yourselves,” she added and said she imagined the experience took its toll on them.
The princess has been slowly returning to a light programme of public duties following her announcement in a video four weeks ago that her course of chemotherapy had ended and her focus would be “doing what I can to stay cancer free”.
