Kate makes her first official public engagement since finishing chemo

The Princess of Wales made a surprise appearance with the Prince of Wales on a visit to Southport, where they held a private meeting with the families of three children killed in a knife attack in July.

This is Catherine’s first official public engagement since she finished her chemotherapy treatment.

Royal sources say she decided to join Prince William to show “support, sympathy and kindness to the local community”.

The couple spoke to emergency responders at the scene of the devastating knife attack in the north-west coastal town.

Catherine hugged some of the emergency workers, and Fire Chief Bill Carrigan said she “could see their emotions.”

The royal visit to Southport was planned as a low-key event to allow her to spend personal time with the families of the three children who died and the yoga teacher who was present during the attack.

But Catherine is a surprise addition, as she’s only made one of a handful of public appearances this year since revealing her cancer diagnosis.

Dressed in a long brown, autumn-looking coat, she arrived with her husband to meet families and emergency workers who Prince William described as “heroes”.

With her chemotherapy over, Catherine has gradually begun to return to work, including meetings about her inaugural campaign last month.

However, this is the biggest moment in the return to royal duties.

Catherine has spoken of “good days and bad days” and Kensington Palace has warned that her appearance should be flexible and subject to last-minute changes.

The visit to Southport was meant to show the community that Prince William and Catherine had not “forgotten”.

The prince and princess heard about efforts to bring the community together after the knife attack – and the waves of rioting that followed.

Pep King, 6, Elsie Todd Stancomb, 7, and Alice DaSilva Aguirre, 9, were killed in an attack on a children’s dance troupe on July 29, 2024.

The royal couple spent 90 minutes speaking to the families of the three children – and later at a meeting at Southport Community Centre, where they expressed the families’ gratitude to emergency responders.

Catherine told the emergency workers who had supported the families during their “darkest times” – and added: “On their behalf, thank you.”

Ten others – eight of them children – were injured in the stabbing.

Axel Rudakubana, 17, was arrested at the scene and charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.

The royal couple spoke to emergency workers from the police and health services about the importance of protecting their own well-being and mental health.

“The first thing we thought about was how on earth are you going to deal with what you’ve seen. So please take your time, don’t go back to work, do what you need to do,” Prince William said. , along with Catherine campaigned for people to be more open about mental health concerns.

The couple have donated to a fund-raising organization to provide physical and psychological support to police and ambulance workers caught up in the attack and subsequent riots.

In a message on social media, Prince William and Catherine said their visit to Southport was a “powerful reminder of the importance of supporting each other in the wake of unimaginable tragedy”.

Former Chief Constable Andy Rhodes described the visit as a “huge boost” for emergency workers.

“It was very emotional. It’s still raw for people,” he said.