CNN —
Britain’s Prince of Wales and his wife made a surprise visit to Southport in northwest England on Thursday to meet with the families of three children killed in a knife attack in July.
The visit was Duchess Kate's first public appearance since completing chemotherapy treatment.
Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, attend a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29. He was stabbed inside and died.
The royal couple met privately with the families of the three girls and the dance teacher who was present at the time of the attack.
Prince William and Duchess Kate, who have made only a handful of public appearances this year, were joined by emergency workers who responded to the scene in July and mental health professionals who have been supporting the “blue light” community for months. I also met with Since then.
“I cannot underestimate how grateful our whole family is for the support you all gave us on that day,” Duchess Kate told responders during an emotional sit-in, according to Britain’s PA media news agency. Ta. He then thanked frontline staff on behalf of his family.
Meanwhile, Prince William, heir to the British throne, told the group they were “heroes” and urged them to “look after themselves.”
"Please don’t go back to work slowly,” he added.
Following their unexpected appearance in Southport, Prince William and Duchess Kate took to social media to describe their “powerful” visit.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with everyone in Southport. Our encounters with members of the community today were a powerful reminder of the importance of supporting each other in the wake of unimaginable tragedy. You are our They remain in our thoughts and prayers,” the couple wrote in a post to X.
At the time of the knife attack, Welshmen issued a statement on social media from a parent’s perspective. “We cannot imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport are going through today,” they said in July, urging first responders to He sent his gratitude, saying, “Love, thoughts, and prayers.”
The pair also made a donation through the Royal Foundation to a fundraiser set up to provide mental and physical rehabilitation for police and emergency workers involved in the attack and the ensuing riot.
CNN understands that the princess made the decision to join her husband on Thursday in a show of support, empathy and compassion for the local community.
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Kate, 42, has been slowly making her return to public life since announcing in a video last month that she had completed chemotherapy and was cancer-free. She did not disclose the type of cancer she was being treated for.
The princess said the past nine months had been difficult, “but she is looking forward to getting back to work and engaging in as many public activities as possible over the coming months.”
In recent weeks, she has been hosting a number of conferences primarily focused on her early work and her upcoming annual Christmas carol concert.
She also made a private visit to the English National Ballet for a matinee show a few weeks ago and posted on social media about the “moving and emotional” performance that followed.
Wales is not the only royal family to express support for the family and the Southport community. Charles III visited similar areas in August, meeting with those affected by the attack and thanking frontline emergency workers.
This story has been updated.
