King Charles to meet families in Southport following fatal attack
20 August 2024, 10:34 | Updated: 20 August 2024, 10:54
King Charles is set to visit Southport on Tuesday in the wake of the fatal attack which claimed the lives of three young girls.
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The King is set to meet with local community leaders and frontline emergency services to thank them for their work in the wake of the recent stabbings.
As part of the visit, the monarch will also hold a private meeting with the youngsters involved in the attack and their families, following the attack at The Hart Space community centre on 29 July.
The King will then carry out a public visit to Southport's town hall, speaking with the community about the attack and the subsequent unrest.
The Southport stabbings sparked riots across the UK after a knifeman entered the Taylor Swift-themed dance class at the community centre in Southport.
It left three children dead and 10 others injured, with police later charging 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana with three counts of murder and ten counts of attempted murder.
Read more: Taylor Swift meets victims and families of Southport attack before Wembley Stadium shows
As part of the visit, the King will also visit the Southport Community fire station, meeting with staff representing Merseyside's police, fire and rescue, and ambulance services, all of whom were involved in the attack.
King Charles is also set to meet as regional leaders including the mayors of the Liverpool City Region and Sefton, as well as MP Patrick Hurley during the visit.
Local faith leaders from around Southport will also take part in the visit, speaking with the King about their experiences.
Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, were killed in the attack which was followed by rioting in Southport and across the country.
The disorder included looting with hotels housing asylum seekers also attacked before counter demonstrations appeared to quell the disturbances.
The violence, denounced as "far-right thuggery" by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, was sparked by false claims about the identity of a teenage suspect later charged with three counts of murder.
Following the attack, the King sent his condolences, noting: "My wife and I have been profoundly shocked to hear of the utterly horrific incident in Southport today."
In the wake of the incident, King Charles explained that he had "shared how he had been greatly encouraged by the many examples of community spirit that had countered the aggression and criminality from a few with the compassion and resilience of the many" with the PM.
It comes as Taylor Swift is said to have reached out to the Southport stabbing victims' families privately ahead of her Wembley gig.
