Princess Kate makes moving Southport appearance alongside Prince William in first public outing since chemotherapy
The Princess of Wales has carried out her first public engagement since completing chemotherapy, joining her husband Prince William on a poignant visit to Southport.
The community was shaken by the horrific knife attack on 29 July, where three children lost their lives, and ten others were seriously injured, at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class.
It's understood that William and Kate wanted to visit today to show their support to the three bereaved families, the first responders and the community of Southport.
The couple spent time privately with the bereaved families of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, and dance teacher Leanne Lucas, 35, who was critically wounded during the attack.
After spending around 90 minutes with the families they walked the short distance to Southport Community Centre where they joined emergency responders involved in the attack to hear about their experiences and meet health practitioners supporting the "blue light" community in Southport.
At the Centre, William and Kate comforted tearful fire crews, police officers and paramedics who recalled the traumatic events of that day, with the Prince telling them: "Thank you, you are all true professionals, look after yourselves."
The royals asked about the mental health support which had been available, with Kate remarking: "For you to witness that, you need support yourselves."
Referencing the earlier meeting with the families of those who died in the attack, the Princess said: "I can’t underestimate how grateful they all are for the support you provided on the day. On behalf of them, thank you."
William and Kate listened intently to the experiences of the emergency staff, with one police officer telling the couple of suffering anxiety following the attack and being off work.
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Speaking afterwards, Chief fire officer for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service Phil Garrigan said he had a "really lovely fleeting conversation" with William and Kate.
He added: "The Princess of Wales broke off and came back into the building to give a hug to the people who responded because she could see the emotion in them and could see it was difficult for them to relay their feelings and to say how impactful events have been. I think that just shows a really caring side and is very, very touching for them."
Kate was asked about how the families of the victims had handled the attack. In response, she told emergency workers: "They're OK. They're managing it differently. All the families are so different. Individually too they are managing it and processing this tragic event in very different ways but they're getting support from families and officers and things like that.
"I think being able to have opportunities to be able to speak to different people in the community about the experience and drawing that together and sharing their experience I think is massively helpful."
William also praised emergency service workers, saying: "The first thing we thought about was actually how on earth you guys are going to handle having seen what you've seen. So please take your time, don't rush back to work, do whatever you need to, talk about it, give your superiors a hard time if they not letting you have that time to decompress because it’s so important you have those moments."
The royals spent 90 minutes talking to the emergency service workers, with Kate embracing some of the servicepeople after emotions ran high.
Following their visit, the couple posted on social media: "We continue to stand with everyone in Southport. Meeting the community today has been a powerful reminder of the importance of supporting one another in the wake of unimaginable tragedy. You will remain in our thoughts and prayers. W & C."
Hours after news of the incident broke on 29 July, the Prince and Princess released a statement, saying: "As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through.
"Thank you also to the emergency responders who, despite being met with the most horrific scenes, demonstrated compassion and professionalism when your community needed you most."
The couple's Royal Foundation also made a donation to the National Police and Wellbeing Service's fundraiser to help fast-track psychological and physical rehab for police and ambulance personnel who were involved in the attack and the subsequent riots.
William and Kate's visit comes just weeks after the King travelled to the Merseyside town to meet with survivors and frontline staff.
Kate's return to public life
The Princess has been undertaking a light programme of public engagements since she announced she had completed chemotherapy in a video message update released on 9 September.
The mum-of-three said she was entering "this new phase of recovery with a renewed sense of hope and appreciation of life".
"The last nine months have been incredibly tough for us as a family," she said.
She added: “Although I have finished chemotherapy, my path to healing and full recovery is long.”
In the past month, Kate has held a number of official meetings, including meeting 16-year-old Liz Hatton at Windsor Castle - an aspiring photographer, who was diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer back in January.
The royal couple invited Liz to take photographs of an investiture ceremony at the Castle, which they then shared on their social media channels.
Kate also privately attended a "moving" performance of Giselle at the National Ballet, sharing a message to thank the dancers afterwards.
The Princess is also expected to host her Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey in December, after holding a planning meeting for the festive soiree with her team last month.
