King Charles to meet Southport victims and their families during Merseyside visit

The monarch will travel to Southport on Tuesday afternoon (August 20) to hold a private meeting with those who were injured in the attack. Three children - Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine - were all killed and many others injured.

The incident saw a knifeman attack young children and adults attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on July 29. Axel Muganwa Rudakubana, 18, has been charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder.

During his visit, the King will hear from children who were involved in the horrific attack about their experiences during at private meeting at Southport Town Hall. He will also be hearing from Merseyside’s police, fire and rescue, and ambulance service staff about their roles in the fatal attack. On Wednesday, the King will host the bereaved families in a private session in London.

In a statement issue on the same day the stabbings took place, Charles 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.”

Royal sources close to the 75-year-old said that Charles has insisted on receiving daily updates on public disorder which was sparked in the aftermath of the Southport murders, but was not expected to make any statement or visit to the town until disorder had calmed. Riots were sparked by anti-immigration and far-right protesters, who gathered outside mosques after misinformation around the alleged knifeman was spread on social media, with multiple people now prosecuted in relation to the disorder.

Alongside meeting the families of those impacted by the Southport stabbings and emergency workers, the King is expected to meet with local faith leader whose communities were impacted by the violent disorder in the aftermath.