Kate and William make surprise visit to meet families of Southport stabbing victims

The Princess of Wales has made a surprise visit with her husband to meet the bereaved families of the Southport stabbing victims, hours after the 17-year-old accused of the murders appeared in court.

The Prince and Princess of Wales made an unexpected visit to meet with families grieving the tragic loss from the Southport stabbings. It marked the first time William and Kate have officially appeared together since Kate's treatment for cancer concluded this summer.

They engaged in a private meeting with the relatives of the young victims – six year old Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe, aged seven, and nine year old Alice Dasilva Aguiar – who were tragically killed while attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 in Southport, as well as the children’s dance instructor.

Spending about an hour and a half with those affected, the royal couple then proceeded to the Southport Community Centre to speak with emergency responders and healthcare professionals who are supporting those in the "blue light" services post-incident.

The princess was dressed in a long brown coat and heels, her hair elegantly styled, maintaining a solemn expression as she engaged with Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside Peter Oliver.

William and Kate allotted 30 minutes for each family they visited, despite arriving 45 minutes later than planned, with William overheard offering apologies for their delay.

Following the incident last year, the prince and princess shared on social media: "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."

The engagement was initially intended as a solo visit for Prince William, but Kate chose to accompany her husband to demonstrate her support, empathy, and compassion towards the local community. The princess has been gradually resuming public engagements after revealing in a video four weeks ago that her chemotherapy treatment had concluded, with her attention now on "doing what I can to stay cancer free".

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Last week, Kate was seen embracing 16-year-old Liz Hatton, an aspiring photographer battling a rare cancer, who was invited by William to Windsor Castle to photograph an investiture ceremony. Additionally, she made a discreet visit to see the English National Ballet’s matinee performance of Giselle at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, later sharing her thoughts on the "moving and inspiring" show via social media.

The royal couple's visit mirrors a similar one by the King in August, where he too met with grieving families and emergency personnel. Following the stabbing incidents, riots erupted in Southport, with the local mosque and a well-liked convenience store becoming targets, leading to days of nationwide unrest.

The chaos included looting and attacks on hotels sheltering asylum seekers, which subsided after counter-protests emerged.

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The violence, which Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer condemned as "far-right thuggery", was triggered by unfounded rumours about the identity of a teenage suspect who was later charged with three counts of murder.

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