The Princess of Wales has made an unexpected appearance alongside the Prince of Wales on 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 she finished her chemotherapy treatment.

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

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

Catherine gave a hug to some of the emergency workers, with fire chief Phil Garrigan saying "she could see the emotion in them".

The royal visit to Southport had been planned as a low key event, to allow time to be spent in private with families of the three children who died and with the yoga teacher who was present during the attack.

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

Wearing a long brown, autumnal-looking coat, she arrived with her husband to meet the bereaved families and emergency workers described by Prince William as "heroes".

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

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

Catherine has spoken of having "good days and bad days" and Kensington Palace has cautioned that her appearances might have to be flexible and be subject to last minute changes.

The visit to Southport was intended by Prince William and Catherine to show the community that it had "not been forgotten".

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

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

The royal couple spent 90 minutes talking to the families of the three children - and later passed on the families' thanks to emergency responders, in a meeting in Southport Community Centre.

Catherine told the emergency workers they had supported families through their "darkest times" - and she said: "On behalf of them, thank you."

Ten other people – eight of whom were children – were injured in the stabbings.

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

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

"The first thing we thought about was actually how on earth you guys are going to handle having seen what you've seen. So please take your time, don't rush back to work, do whatever you need to," said Prince William, who with Catherine has campaigned for people to be more open about mental health concerns.

The couple had made a donation to a fundraiser to provide physical and psychological help for police and ambulance staff who were caught up in the attack and the riots that followed.

In a message on social media, Prince William and Catherine said their Southport visit had been a "powerful reminder of the importance of supporting one another in the wake of unimaginable tragedy".

Former chief constable Andy Rhodes described the visit as a "massive boost" for emergency workers.

"It was quite emotional. It is still raw for people," he said.