King Charles recently met with the families of the Southport stabbing victims during a private audience at Clarence House in London. The tragic attack, which occurred on July 29 at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, resulted in the deaths of three girls.
On Wednesday, His Majesty had a private meeting with the parents of the victims, following his visit to Southport the previous day.
There, he spent 45 minutes with some of the survivors and their families and paid tribute to the victims, who were honored with floral memorials outside Southport Town Hall. The deceased girls—Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine—were remembered with a sea of flowers.
In the immediate aftermath of the attack, King Charles released a statement expressing his profound shock and offering heartfelt condolences to the families and all those affected.
He said, “My wife and I have been profoundly shocked to hear of the utterly horrific incident in Southport today. We send our most heartfelt condolences, prayers, and deepest sympathies to the families and loved ones of those who have so tragically lost their lives, and to all those affected by this truly appalling attack.”
Charles was also updated daily by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and senior police officials amid the widespread riots that erupted across England following the attack.
During his visit to Southport, the King met with well-wishers and praised the community spirit that emerged in response to the tragedy and subsequent unrest.
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson noted that Charles had been kept informed of the situation and expressed gratitude to the police and emergency services for their efforts to restore peace.
The King highlighted the resilience and compassion shown by the community and hoped that these shared values of mutual respect would continue to strengthen and unite the nation.