Kate joins Prince William for her first public appearance since ending cancer treatment

(CNN) — Britain’s Prince and Princess of Wales made a surprise visit to Southport, northwest England, on Thursday, where they met the bereaved families of three children killed in a knife attack in July.

The visit was the first public appearance for Catherine, known as Kate, since she finished her chemotherapy treatment.

Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, 9, were fatally stabbed while attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the town on July 29.

The royal couple met privately with the families of the three young girls, as well as with their dance teacher who was present during the attack.

William and Kate – who has only carried out a handful of public appearances this year – also met with emergency services personnel who responded to the scene in July, as well as mental health practitioners who have been supporting the “blue light” community in the months since.

“I can’t underestimate how grateful they [the families] all are for the support you provided on the day,” Kate told the responders, according to Britain’s PA Media news agency, during the deeply emotional sit-down. She then thanked the frontline staff on behalf of the families.

Meanwhile, William, the heir to the British throne, told the group that they were “heroes” and urged them to “make sure you look after yourselves.”

“Please take your time, don’t rush back to work,” he added.

Following the unexpected appearance in Southport, William and Kate spoke of their “powerful” visit on social media.

“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,” the couple wrote in a post on X.

At the time of the knife attack, the Waleses released a statement on social media from their perspective as parents. “We cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through,” they said in July, before sending their “love, thoughts and prayers” and gratitude to emergency responders.

The pair also made a donation through their royal foundation to a fundraiser set up to provide psychological and physical rehab for police and ambulance personnel involved in the attack and the subsequent riots.

CNN understands the princess made the decision to join her husband on Thursday to show her support, empathy and compassion to the local community.

Kate, 42, has been easing her way back into public life following her announcement that she had completed chemotherapy and was cancer free in a video last month. She has not revealed the type of cancer she was being treated for.

The princess said the past nine months had been challenging but that “I am, however, looking forward to being back at work and undertaking a few more public engagements in the coming months when I can.”

In recent weeks, she has been holding a number of meetings primarily focused on her early years work and her upcoming annual Christmas carol concert.

She also made a private visit to the English National Ballet a few weeks ago for a matinee show, posting about the “moving and inspiring” performance on social media afterwards.

The Wales aren’t the only royals to show their support for the bereaved families and Southport community. King Charles III made a similar visit to the area in August to meet those affected by the attack and thank frontline emergency workers.