The Princess of Wales made an unexpected appearance with the Prince of Wales during a visit to Southport, where they met privately with the families of three children killed in a knife attack in July.
It was Duchess Kate’s first public engagement since completing chemotherapy.
Royal sources said she decided to join Prince William to show “support, empathy and compassion for the community.”
The couple spoke to emergency workers who responded to the scene of a devastating knife attack in a northwestern seaside town.
The Duchess of Cambridge hugged several emergency workers, and Fire Chief Phil Galligan said he could “feel to their emotions”.
The royal’s visit to Southport had been planned as a low-key affair to spend some private time with the families of the three children who died and a yoga teacher who was present at the time of the attack.
However, Duchess Kate was a surprise addition as she made one of her few public appearances this year since revealing her cancer diagnosis.
Wearing a long, autumnal brown coat, she arrived with her husband to meet the families and emergency workers whom Prince William described as “heroes”.
Now that her chemotherapy has finished, Katherine has gradually begun to return to work, including holding early campaign meetings last month.
But this is the biggest moment yet in returning to royal duties.
The Duchess has said she has “good days and bad days” and Kensington Palace warned that her appearance is flexible and subject to last-minute changes.
Reuters
ReutersPrince William and Duchess Kate’s visit to Southport was aimed at showing the local community that Southport is “not forgotten”.
The prince and princess heard about efforts to unite the community after the knife attack, and the wave of violence that followed.
On July 29, 2024, Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancomb, 7, and Alice DaSilva Aguiar, 9, were killed in an attack on a children’s dance group. .
The royal couple spent 90 minutes with the families of their three children, before thanking emergency responders at a meeting at Southport Community Center.
Duchess Kate told emergency workers they had supported her family during their “darkest hours” and said: “On behalf of them, I would like to thank them.”
Ten other people, eight of them children, suffered stab wounds.
The suspect, Axel Rudakubana, 17, was arrested at the scene and charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.
merseyside policeThe royal couple spoke to police and health service paramedics about the importance of protecting their health and mental health.
“Really, our first thought was, how on earth are you going to deal with what you’ve seen? So, take your time, don’t rush back to work, and do what you need to do. Please do whatever you can,” Prince William said. He and Catherine have been campaigning for people to be more open about their mental health concerns.
The couple had donated to a fundraiser to provide physical and psychological assistance to police and emergency workers caught up in the attack and the ensuing riot.
Prince William and Duchess Kate said in a social media message that their visit to Southport was a “powerful reminder of the importance of supporting each other in the wake of unimaginable tragedy.”
Former Chief Constable Andy Rose said the visit was a “huge boost” for emergency workers.
“It was very emotional. It’s still raw for people,” he said.
