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

This was Catherine’s first official public engagement since completing her chemotherapy.

Royal sources say she decided to join Prince William to show “her support, empathy and compassion to the local community.”

The couple spoke to rescue workers who helped at the scene of the devastating knife attack in the north-west coastal town.

Catherine hugged some of the emergency responders, and Fire Chief Phil Garrigan said, “She could see the emotion in them.”

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

But Catherine was a surprise, making one of only a few public appearances this year since announcing her cancer diagnosis.

Wearing a long brown autumnal coat, she traveled with her husband to meet the grieving families and rescue workers, whom Prince William described as “heroes”.

With her chemotherapy finished, Catherine has begun a phased return to work, including meetings about her early years campaign last month.

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

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

The visit to Southport was intended by Prince William and Catherine to show the community that he has “not been forgotten”.

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

Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, were killed in the attack on a children’s dance group on July 29, 2024.

The royal couple spent 90 minutes speaking to the families of the three children – and later conveyed the families’ thanks to emergency services at a meeting at the Southport Community Centre.

Catherine told rescue workers they had supported families in their “darkest times” – and she said: “On behalf of them, thank you very much.”

Ten other people – eight of them children – were injured in the knife attacks.

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

The royal couple explained to police and health workers the importance of protecting their own well-being and mental health.

“The first thing we thought about was actually how on earth are you going to deal with this after seeing what you saw. So please take your time, don’t rush back to work, just do whatever it takes,” said Prince William, who, along with Catherine, has campaigned for people to be more open about mental health issues.

The couple had donated to a fundraiser to provide physical and psychological assistance to police and emergency workers involved in the attack and the unrest that followed.

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 after an unimaginable tragedy.”

Former police chief Andy Rhodes described the visit as a “massive boost” for emergency services.

“It was pretty emotional. It’s still rough for people,” he said.