Princess Catherine makes surprise appearance with Prince William
Princess Catherine has made her first public appearance alongside her husband since her cancer diagnosis as the royals met with survivors of a horrific Taylor Swift dance party stabbing attack.
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Princess Catherine has made her first public appearance alongside her husband since her cancer diagnosis as the royals met with survivors of a horrific Taylor Swift dance party stabbing attack.
It is her first public appearance with her husband since her cancer diagnosis earlier this year. The royal couple last appeared together at a Christmas carols concert in late 2023.
Royal sources said she decided to join Prince William to show her “support, empathy and compassion” to the local community.
The couple spoke with emergency responders who helped at the scene of the devastating knife attack, which killed three children.
They also met privately with the families of the three children who died, and dance teacher Leanne Lucas who was present when the attack happened.
The visit to Southport, in the northeast of England, was meant to be a low key event to spent time with the families but the princess was a surprise addition as she made one of only a handful of public appearances this year, since revealing her cancer diagnosis.
Princess Catherine gave a hug to some of the emergency workers, with fire chief Phil Garrigan saying “she could see the emotion in them”.
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”.
“The first thing we thought about was actually how on earth you guys are going to handle having seen what you’ve seen,” Prince William said.
The Princess of Wales was seen hugging tearful emergency service workers as they told her of their ordeal responding to the stabbings.
And she was so moved by their traumatic experience that she broke off from the engagement to go back and hug crews who had told of their anxiety and the toll on their mental health since that day.
With her chemotherapy having ended, Princess 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.
She 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.
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The royal made his quip while attending an event co-hosted by the BAFTA television organisation and the Royal African Society in Piccadilly, central London.
Chatting with students from the National Film and TV school, William joked that with so much screen content to choose from, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis were “always wrestling over the remote” at home.
The event showcased the Prince William BAFTA Bursary, which assists young people from under-represented groups, helping them to progress their careers in film, games or television through grants.
The royal was joined by actors Stephen Merchant, Andy Serkis, Celia Imrie and film director Paul Greengrass, who all donate to the fund, which provides grants of up to $4000 for young people.
During his speech, William said: “It’s wonderful for me to be here to celebrate the work that BAFTA and the Royal African Society are doing to champion the arts and creativity.
“The screen arts are such an important part of the fabric of our lives, allowing different voices and perspectives to be accessed and enjoyed in the comfort of our own homes.
“That’s why, as you have heard today, it is so crucial that aspiring creative professionals — regardless of their background or circumstance — have a real opportunity to bring their ideas and stories to life.”
The future king was still sporting the bearded look that caused a stir when he returned from his summer break last month.
It came after reports about the normalcy of William and Princess Catherine’s home life, with an insider telling the Daily Record how the royal fixes his wife a gin and tonic before bed every night.
“They look after each other, but in different ways,” the source said.
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