King Charles will today meet the survivors and bereaved families of the Southport knife attack which saw three young girls killed. Buckingham Palace has announced that His Majesty’s visit is a show of “his continued support” for those affected by the events on July 29 and the subsequent unrest in the community.
The King will also personally thank the brave emergency personnel in the area for their dedication and service to the local people. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, tragically lost their lives when a knife-wielding assailant entered a Taylor Swift-themed event at Hart Space Community Centre to carry out the attack, which left ten others severely wounded.
After holding a private meeting with some of the children who survived the incident and their families, King Charles is due to engage with the wider Southport community by the Town Hall. His schedule also includes meeting members of Merseyside’s emergency services and local community organisations at the Southport Community Fire Station.
On the day of the attack, Buckingham Palace released a statement from the King, in which he condemned it as “truly appalling”, reports the Mirror. His Majesty said: “My wife and I have been profoundly shocked to hear of the utterly horrific incident in Southport today. We send our most heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have so tragically lost their lives and to all those affected by this truly appalling attack.”
The Prince and Princess of Wales also shared their horror and sympathy at the time, writing: “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.” On social media, the Royal couple, parents to Prince George, 11, Princess Charlotte, 9, and Prince Louis, 6, shared: “We send our love, thoughts and prayers to all those involved in this horrid and heinous attack.”
In the days afterwards, the King received daily briefings as police confronted violent unrest from far-right factions across the country. Last week, Charles acknowledged the “compassion and resilience of the many” amidst the widespread riots, which were met with numerous counter-protests throughout the UK. He held talks with Prime Minister Keir Starmer and senior police officers.
At 75 years old, Charles has devoted his life to promoting community cohesion and fostering relationships within diverse faith communities, and he has not ceased in his efforts to connect with community leaders during the recent events, according to sources. In a series of calls about the situation, the King “expressed his heartfelt thanks” to all frontline and emergency service workers who have been diligently responding to heightened tensions in various towns and cities.
Yesterday, he arrived at Balmoral Castle for his summer holiday, but he remains committed to his responsibilities, continuing to work on his government red boxes and fulfilling his state obligations as usual while in Scotland, insiders claim.