ThePrincess of Walespaid tribute to the young girls killed in the Southport attack with several clever details hidden in her outfit during her visit yesterday.
On Tuesday, Kate and William returned to Liverpool, where they visited Churchtown Primary School and met with the parents of Elsie Dot Stancombe, Alice da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King, who were killed while attending a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in June 2024.
It was an emotional visit for the royal couple, who previously visited the city in October last year – one of Kate’s first public engagements since undergoing cancer treatment.
Yesterday, Kate donned a pink Burberry Silk Crepe de Chine blouse, paired with a charcoal wool coat from Jigsaw and Smythson cross-body bag.
During one engagement, the royal couple were given bracelets by Bebe’s mother Lauren, which bore the words Bebe’s Hive – the name of the charity set up in her memory – and which they wore for the rest of the day in a heartfelt tribute to the young girls.
Mother-of-three Kate also gave a sweet nod of sartorial support to the victims during the engagement, donning a pink blouse – while the grey and black detailing made for an understated look, fitting for the highly emotional event.
After the attack last year, buildings across north-west England were illuminated with pink lights in tribute to the victims.
Landmarks including St George’s Hall and the Cunard Building in Liverpool, the Mersey Gateway Bridge, and Chester Town Hall were lit up, as well as hospitals across the region.
Kate made a sweet nod to Southport during her visit yesterday, by wearing pink outfit details and also donning friendship bracelets
Speaking at the time,Sefton Council leader Marion Atkinson said: ‘We have seen overwhelming support and sympathy from communities far and wide.
‘The vigil on Tuesday evening was a touching and heartfelt moment we all shared and we continue to stand united for all of those families who are currently trying to deal with their unimaginable loss and care for victims injured.
‘Lighting up our buildings is a display of the moving unity that we saw during Tuesday’s evening vigil in Southport town centre where the town came together to share their sadness and respect.’
The colour pink has since become associated with the victims and survivors of the attack, making Kate’s decision to sport the hue a poignant one.
Bebe’s mother Lauren King thanked the royal couple for their ‘amazing’ support and gifted them friendship bracelets she’d made, which featured her little girl’s name.
Both the Prince and Princess were photographed wearing them, making for a touching tribute to both the young girls and their parents.
Indeed, the beaded accessories have a powerful significance far beyond their size – as they became a huge phenomenon during pop star Swift’s Eras Tour, with Swifties trading – often hundreds of – them at her concerts.
Elsie, seven, Alice, nine, and Bebe, six, were fans of the singer and had been attending a Taylor-themed dance class when they were attacked by Axel Rudakubana, 19, who also injured eight other children.
During one engagement, the royal couple were given bracelets by Bebe’s mother Lauren
Kate Middletongave a sweet nod to the victims of the Southport knife attack, donning a pink blouse in tribute, when she visited the town on Tuesday with her husband Prince William
Among fans, the bracelets have become a symbol of friendship, support and community – something Kate and William fully embraced on Tuesday by sporting the gifts for the duration of the visit.
The fashion accessory also made for a sweet nod to the couple’s daughter, Princess Charlotte, 10, who is known to have made the bracelets after attending Taylor’s concert at Wembley Stadium last year with her brother, Prince George, 12.
Most recently, Charlotte was seen wearing three new friendship bracelets when she joined her father Prince William at the Lionesses’ Euros final in July.
Charlotte, who is known to follow in her mother’s footsteps in the fashion stakes, wore a purple string bracelet, as well as a green and white bracelet and a light pink one.
The love of the sentimental jewellery is shared by the family,with Prince George wearing one in his 12th birthday portraitwhileWilliamhas previouslysported one that said ‘papa’ -the name that his children call him.
It is understood that Charlotte made the item for him especially before his trip to South Africa last year.
King Charles was also spotted wearing what appears to be a ‘friendship bracelet’ during engagements last summer, including on a trip to Guernsey with Queen Camilla, again believed to have been a gift from Princess Charlotte.
William revealed in September that his youngest son Prince Louis, seven, is known to steal his sister’s bracelets, with his antics coming as no surprise to royal fans who have long been amused by his stunts.
Prince William also wore a bracelet with the name of the charity – Bebe’s Hive – set up in the youngster’s memory
Mother-of-three Kate opted for a smart trouser and coat co-ord, teamed with a pink blouse for the outing on Tuesday
Swifties first started making the bracelets due to a lyric in fan-favourite You’re On Your Own Kid from the singer’s album Midnights: ‘So make the friendship bracelets, take the moment and taste it / You’ve got no reason to be afraid.’
Fans began trading beaded friendship bracelets at her concerts, often bearing phrases from her lyrics, leading to many friendships being made among strangers.
Taylor’s boyfriend, Kansas City Chiefs player Travis Kelce, even admitted he once put his number on his bracelet to catch her eye before they began dating.
The phenomenon has resulted in an unprecedented boom in sales – with data from eBay showing a 15,200 per cent increase in sales for friendship bracelets and Hobbycraft’s increasing by 500 per cent – bringing the childhood favourite back into fashion once more.
Celebrities have been snapped sporting the wristwear, including Reese Witherspoon, Channing Tatum, Gayle King and Gigi Hadid. Even Tom Cruise has reportedly jumped onto the trend.
In the aftermath of the Southport tragedy, Swift said she was at ‘a complete loss’ over the devastating attack.
‘The horror of yesterday’s attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I’m just completely in shock,’ the singer said following the incident.
‘The loss of life and innocence and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families, the first response.
During the outing on Tuesday, Kate was full of laughter as she chatted to excited children at the school inSouthport
‘These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.’
Afterwards, Taylor invited two young girls who were injured in the Southport knife rampage to one of her Eras Tour shows.
The Shake It Off singer invited the two young girls backstage and posed for photos before one of her record-breaking performances.
In a speech to pupils of Churchtown Primary School yesterday, Prince William urged the classmates ofElsie,Bebe andAlice to honour their memories and ‘be brave, be joyful and be kind’.
Looking visibly moved, the heir to the throne praised the way the ‘classmates have come together to support each other and remember the girls in their own way’.
Speakingin the surroundings of an inspirational new playground built at the school,William said: ‘The tragic events that unfolded in this town last year still remain difficult to comprehend.
‘Last year, Alex and Sergio, [Alice’s parents] you told us you wanted to create a special playground in memory of the girls and here we are.
‘This playground is a symbol of how the community have come together to create such a positive space for the pupils of this school – a symbol of remembrance and resilience, a testament that love will always overcome tragedy.
‘Many lives were changed on that terrible day – including countless members of this school community.
Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice da Silva Aguiar died in the attack last summer.Pictured L to R: Bebe, Elsie and Alice
‘To the teaching community here at Churchtown Primary and Farnborough Road, where we visited this morning – each and every one of you has gone above and beyond to help heal this incredible group of young people. Thank you.
‘To Alex and Sergio, Lauren and Ben, Jenni and David – you are parents united in grief. You have faced such horror – but from that you move forward with grace and fortitude – creating the most remarkable legacies for your girls. We will always be here to support you.
‘To everyone impacted on that day you will never be forgotten.’
After arriving atChurchtown Primary School this afternoon, Kate,dressed in a smart pink blouse and stylish grey trousers, and William toured the inspirational new commemorative playground that has been created in Alice and Bebe’s honour.
The school and the community of Southport have been on a journey of grief since the attack and are now focused on looking ahead in a hopeful and positive way, sources said.
As a result, the school set up a fundraising appeal for a memorial playground to honour Alice and Bebe.
Surplus funds 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.
Fundraising efforts included Alice and Elsie’s fathers, as well as the school’s headteacher Jinnie Payne, running in the London Marathon. Their Royal Highness privately donated to this appeal.
Speaking afterwards Lauren King described how special the event had been for them.
‘It’s really special. I think we’re really grateful anyway, how Bebe’s been honoured so much in the school. And the fact seeing the Prince and the Princess support that and be here has been… just amazing,’ she said.
‘They’re just really nice people, aren’t they? Really welcoming and special.’ Her husband Ben added: ‘They’re just so easy to talk to. Yeah, it’s a really well welcoming, really warm and. Yes, just really. Yeah. Very special.’
Following their first in October last year, the Prince and Princess issued a statement, saying: ‘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. ‘
Today they will continue that promise to stand by the community with an extremely poignant visit, their spokesman said.
In 2024, they met with the families of all three girls murdered by knifeman Rudakubana, then aged 17, whowas jailed for a minimum of 52 years in January.
William and Katespent time with the bereaved families, along with brave dance teacher Leanne Lucas, who risked her life to protect the girls and was critically injured in the attack.
The couple also met with emergency responders and mental health practitioners who have been working to deliver support to the blue light community, many of whom remain deeply scarred by what they saw on the day.
In January,Axel Rudakubana, 18, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 52 years for carrying out the Southport attacks with a judge admitting he will likely remain in prison until he dies.
Rudakubana was handed 13 sentences including the murders of Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, Bebe King, six, and Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and the attempted murder of eight other children in Southport.
Mr Justice Goose passed his sentence on a day of high drama and emotion as the teenager was twice removed from the dock for interrupting proceedings.
