Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton, visited Southport on Thursday to meet with families affected by the recent attack at a Taylor Swift-themed dance event. This was Kate’s first public engagement since completing chemotherapy.
On July 29, three girls were killed, and several children were injured during an attack at the event in Southport, a town in northwest England.This tragedy gained global attention, leading to subsequent riots.
During their visit, the Prince and Princess of Wales spoke with the victims’ families, a dance teacher who was present during the attack, and local emergency service representatives. Kensington Palace said, “Today, the Prince and Princess of Wales visited Southport to show support for the community and hear how local people have come together as the town recovers from the tragic knife attack that took place.”
The official X handle of Prince William and Kate Middleton stated that meeting the community is a powerful reminder to stand by each other in times of tragedy. “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,” their official account posted on X.
Kate joined the visit to show their support for the community and to assure them that they are not forgotten. This visit follows King Charles‘s visit to Southport in August, where he met with some of the surviving children and their families.
After the attack, false information spread on social media, incorrectly identifying the attacker as an Islamist migrant, leading to violent clashes and an attempt to attack the town’s mosque. Authorities charged a teenager, who was 17 at the time, with the murders.
Following the July incident, similar riots occurred across the country, which police and the government attributed to far-right groups. This resulted in about 1,500 arrests and nearly 400 people being jailed.