After completing chemo, Kate made her first official public engagement

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

This was Catherine's first official public engagement after completing chemotherapy treatment.

Royal sources say she decided to join Prince William to show “support, sympathy and compassion for 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 hugged some of the emergency workers, with Fire Chief Phil Garrigan saying “he could see the emotion in them”.

The royal visit to Southport was planned as a low-key event, 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 was a surprise addition as she made one of only a few public appearances this year since revealing her cancer diagnosis.

Dressed in a long brown, autumn-looking coat, she accompanied her husband to meet grieving families and emergency workers described by Prince William as “heroic”.

With her chemotherapy over, Catherine has begun a gradual return to work, including meetings about her primary year campaign last month.

However, this is the biggest moment of the return to royal duties so far.

Catherine has said she has “good days and bad days” and Kensington Palace has warned that her looks can be flexible and subject to last-minute changes.

Prince William and Catherine's visit to Southport was intended to show the community that it was “not forgotten”.

The prince and princess heard about efforts to unite the community after the knife attack – and the wave of riots that followed.

Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot 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 family of three – and later thanked the families of emergency responders at a meeting at the Southport Community Centre.

Catherine told emergency workers they had supported the families in their “darkest hour” – and she said: “On their behalf, thank you.”

Ten other people – eight of whom were 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 police and emergency workers from the health services about the importance of protecting their own well-being and mental health.

“The first thing we thought about was how do you handle what you've seen in the world. So please take your time, don't go back to work, do what you need to do,” said Prince William. , who along with Catherine has campaigned for people to be more open about mental health concerns

The couple donated to a fundraiser to provide physical and emotional support for police and ambulance workers who were 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 face of unimaginable tragedy”.

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

“It was pretty emotional. It's still raw for people,” he said.