After finishing chemotherapy, the Princess of Wales made her first public appearance by traveling to Southport with her husband, Prince William, in a moving visit.
The terrible knife attack that occurred on July 29 at a dance class with a Taylor Swift theme, leaving ten people seriously injured and three children dead, rocked the community.
It is recognized that William and Catherine wanted to come visit today to offer their support to the Southport community, the first responders, and the three families who have lost a loved one.
The couple spent private time with the families of the deceased, including dance teacher Leanne Lucas, 35, who was critically injured in the attack, and Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9.
Following about ninety minutes with the families, they strolled the short distance to Southport Community Centre, where they met Southport’s “blue light” community’s medical professionals and emergency responders to hear about their experiences.
As the firefighters, police officers, and paramedics at the Center relived the horrific events of that day, William and Catherine consoled them with tears. The Prince said, “Thank you, you are all true professionals, look after yourselves.”
In response to a question from the royals regarding the mental health support that had been provided, Catherine said, “For you to witness that, you need support yourselves.”
“I can’t underestimate how grateful they all are for the support you provided on the day,” the Princess remarked, alluding to the earlier meeting with the families of those who died in the attack. “Thank you on their behalf.”
William and Catherine listened carefully as the emergency personnel described their experiences. One police officer told them that he was off work because of anxiety he was experiencing after the attack.
Following the event, Phil Garrigan, the chief fire officer for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, said he had a “really lovely fleeting conversation” with Catherine and William.
He continued, saying, “The Princess of Wales broke off and returned to the building to hug those who had responded, sensing that it was difficult for them to express their emotions and to articulate the significance of the events.” That, in my opinion, just demonstrates a truly compassionate side and is incredibly moving for them.”
Catherine was questioned about the victims’ families’ reactions to the attack. She replied to the emergency personnel, saying, “They’re OK.” They are handling it in a unique way. Every family is very unique. Though they are receiving support from families, law enforcement, and other sources, each of them is handling and processing this tragic event in a very different way.
“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.”
“The first thing we thought about is actually how on earth you guys are going to handle having seen what you’ve seen,” William said, praising emergency personnel as well. “Therefore, please take your time, don’t rush back to work, take whatever necessary breaks, talk to your superiors if they’re not allowing you to unwind, and don’t be afraid to voice your concerns.”
After spending ninety minutes conversing with the emergency personnel, Catherine embraced a few of them as her emotions ran high.
The couple shared on social media after their visit, saying, “We are still standing by everyone in Southport. Having met the community today has served as a potent reminder of how crucial it is for people to support one another in the wake of unspeakable tragedy. We’ll keep you in our prayers and thoughts. W and C.”
The Prince and Princess issued a statement shortly after the incident on July 29. In it, they said, “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.”
In order to expedite the psychological and physical rehabilitation of police and ambulance personnel who were involved in the attack and the ensuing riots, the couple’s Royal Foundation also donated to a fundraiser hosted by the National Police and Wellbeing Service.
Only a few weeks have passed since the King visited the Merseyside town to meet with survivors and frontline staff, and now William and Catherine are paying them a visit.
Catherine’s return to public life
Since announcing in a video message update on September 9th that she had finished chemotherapy, the Princess has been engaging in a limited schedule of public appearances.
The mother of three declared that she was starting “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 stated.
“Even though my chemotherapy is over, it will take time for me to heal and fully recover,” she continued.
Catherine has attended several formal meetings this month, one of which was at Windsor Castle with 16-year-old Liz Hatton. Hatton is an aspiring photographer who was given an aggressive and rare form of cancer diagnosis back in January.
Liz was asked by the royal couple to take pictures during an investiture ceremony at the Castle, which they later posted on social media.
Additionally, Catherine went to a “moving” Giselle performance at the National Ballet in private and shared a thank-you note with the dancers afterward.
In December, the Princess is anticipated to conduct her annual Christmas Carol Service at Westminster Abbey. Her team met last month to plan the joyous event.
