Catherine, Princess of Wales, and Prince William held their first combined public appearance on Thursday since she finished chemotherapy for cancer, Kensington Palace reported.
The couple went to Southport in northwest England “to show support to the community and hear how local people have come together as the town recovers” after a knife assault that murdered three youngsters in July, according to the palace.
The princess, also known as Kate, and William met members of the emergency services who had arrived following the stabbing spree at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, which also injured eight youngsters and two adults.
The couple, both 42, heard “about their experiences of responding to the attack and the impact it has had on their mental health,” their office said in a statement.
The royals also met mental health practitioners who have been supporting emergency responders since the attack.
Having met the families of the victims of the July 29 rampage earlier in the day, Kate told the emergency workers “how grateful they all are for the support you provided on the day”.
“On behalf of them, thank you,” she said, according to Britain’s domestic Press Association (PA) news agency.
Away from the cameras, Kate hugged some of the attendees after they became emotional, it was reported.
William told the responders: “You’re all heroes. Please make sure you look after yourselves, please take your time, don’t rush back to work.”
The Kensington Palace statement said that ensuring emergency responders receive long-term mental health support following traumatic events was a cause “close to the heart” of William.
It noted the heir to the throne has “first-hand experience as an emergency responder while serving as a pilot” for a civilian air ambulance service and in the military flying search and rescue helicopters.
Royal recoveries
Kate stated on September 9 that she had completed chemotherapy and was aiming to be cancer-free.
Following her unexpected diagnosis, which forced her to stay out of the public spotlight for months, she said she was on a long path to “full recovery” in a deeply emotional video message.
A week later, she made the first step toward returning to work on children’s early development by meeting with personnel from the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, which she founded.
It was interpreted as a further positive indicator that Kate was making significant progress in her cancer treatment and was tentatively returning to public activities.
Her health problems have coincided with her father-in-law, King Charles III, who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year and is also having treatment.
The 75-year-old monarch was cleared to resume public activities in April.Neither royal has revealed which form of cancer they had.
Kate arrived at a Southport community centre on Thursday after meeting privately with the families of the attack victims and a dance teacher injured on July 29. She was dressed in a long brown coat.
She and William spent about half an hour with each of the three family groups and arrived at the centre 45 minutes late, according to PA.
According to the report, William was heard apologizing to the waiting guests upon his arrival.
Unrest and riots broke out in English towns and cities in the week following the events in Southport, with officials blaming misinformation about the identity of the alleged attacker.
Axel Rudakubana, who was 17 at the time, has been charged with murder and attempted murder for the stabbing spree.
He is due in court this month for a hearing.