CNN
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Britain’s Prince and Princess of Wales made a surprise visit to Southport in northwest England on Thursday, where they met the family of three children killed in a stabbing attack in July.
The visit was the first public appearance of Catherine, known as Kate, since completing her chemotherapy treatment.
Pep King, 6, Elsie Todd Stancomb, 7, and Alice Da Silva Aguiar, 9, were fatally injured while attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in town on July 29.
The royal couple met privately with the families of the three young women and their dance teacher who was present at the time of the attack.
William and Kate – who have only made a handful of public appearances this year – met with emergency services workers who responded to the scene in July and mental health practitioners who have been supporting the “Blue Light” community for months. from.
“I can’t understate how grateful they are [the families] It’s all for the support you gave that day,” Kate told respondents during a deeply emotional sit-down, according to Britain’s PA Media news agency. He then thanked the frontline staff on behalf of the family.
Meanwhile, William, the heir to the British throne, told the group they were “heroes” and urged them to “take care of yourselves”.
“Please take your time and don’t go back to work,” he added.
Following the surprise appearance in Southport, William and Kate took to social media to talk about their “powerful” visit.
“We continue to stand with everyone in Southport. Meeting the community today is a powerful reminder of the importance of supporting each other in the face of unimaginable tragedy. You will remain in our thoughts and prayers,” the couple wrote in a post on X.
In the wake of the knife attack, Wales posted a statement on social media from a parenting perspective. “We can’t even begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport are going through today,” they said in July before thanking emergency responders for their “love, thoughts and prayers”.
The couple donated through their royal trust to a fundraiser set up to provide psychological and physical rehabilitation for police and ambulance personnel involved in the attack and subsequent riots.
CNN understands the princess decided to join her husband on Thursday to show her support, sympathy and compassion to the local community.
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Kate, 42, has eased her way back into public life after announcing in a video last month that she had completed chemotherapy and was cancer free. He did not disclose the type of cancer he was treated for.
The princess said the past nine months had been challenging but “nonetheless, I look forward to getting back to work and doing some more public engagements in the coming months if I can.”
In recent weeks, she has been holding several meetings, primarily her early years work and the upcoming annual Christmas carol concert.
He made a private visit to English National Ballet for a matinee performance a few weeks ago and later posted on social media about the “moving and inspiring” performance.
Wales is not the only royal family to show their support for the bereaved families and the Southport community. King Charles III visited a similar area in August to meet victims of the attack and thank frontline emergency workers.
This story has been updated.
