Prince William and Kate meet with the families of the Southport victims as they continue promise of support

For their second engagement today, the Prince and Princess of Wales visited Churchtown Primary School to see the new commemorative playground that has been created to honour former pupils Bebe King and Alice da Silva Aguiar.

Churchtown Primary School set up a fundraising appeal for a memorial playground to honour Alice and Bebe.

Excess funds from the fundraiser have been distributed between local charities who have helped recovery efforts in Southport, as well as being split between three charities founded in memory of Alice, Bebe and Elsie - Alice’s WonderDance Foundation, Bebe’s Hive and Elsie’s Story.

The royal couple held private meetings with the parents of Bebe King and Alice da Silva Aguiar as well as pupils from the school who were affected by the attack.

The Prince and Princess of Wales also met with a group of Alice’s classmates to hear about an art project they have been working on to show the progression of their grief and how they are looking towards the future with hope.

William and Kate then viewed the new playground which includes a stage and areas for quiet reflection, a multi games space, climbing frame and bike cycle track for the youngest children.

Their public appearance in Southport continues their ongoing support for the community following the attack in July 2024, in which three girls - Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King - were tragically killed at a dance class in the town.

The royal couple’s return to Southport today follows their promise to stand by the community in the wake of “unimaginable tragedy”.

Following their visit on October 10, 2024, the Prince and Princess of Wales released a statement vowing to support Southport.

They said: “We continue to stand with everyone in Southport. Meeting the community today has been a powerful reminder of the importance of supporting one another in the wake of unimaginable tragedy.

“You will remain in our thoughts and prayers. W & C”.

They last visited Southport in October 2024 to stand alongside the local community following the incident.

During the visit, Kate and William met with bereaved families of those killed and the emergency responders who were involved in responding to the attack.

In January 2025, Axel Rudakubana was sentenced to a minimum of 52 years for the murder of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven.

Axel Rudakubana refused to come into the courtroom as he was sentenced at Liverpool Crown Court.

Impact statements from the families of the three girls were read out in court prior to the sentencing of Rudakubana.

The mother of seven-year-old Elsie Dot Stancombe said their family “will carry her love, positivity and her legacy forward.”

Rudakubana was sentenced for three counts of murder, 10 of attempted murder, one of producing the biological toxin ricin and one of possession of an Al Qaeda training manual, an offence under the Terrorism Act.

In a statement after the hearing, Elsie’s family thanked the emergency services who responded to the incident.

They said: "We are so thankful for their bravery, compassion and strength which should serve as an inspiration to everybody,

The family also thanked Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, King Charles and the Prince and Princess of Wales for arranging private meetings where they offered their condolences.

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