CATHERINE, Princess of Wales and Prince William on Thursday made their first joint public engagement since she ended a course of chemotherapy for cancer, Kensington Palace announced.
The couple visited Southport in northwest England, “to show support to the community and hear how local people have come together as the town recovers” from a July knife attack that killed three children, the palace said.
The princess, better kalso known as Kate, and William met members of the emergency services who attended after the stabbing spree at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class, which also left eight children and two adults wounded.
The couple, both 42, heard “about their experiences of responding to the attack and the impact it has had on their mental health,” their office said in a statement.
The royals also met mental health practitioners who have been supporting emergency responders since the attack.
Having met the families of the victims of the July 29 rampage earlier in the day, Kate told the emergency workers “how grateful they all are for the support you provided on the day”.
“On behalf of them, thank you,” she said, according to Britain’s domestic Press Association (PA) news agency.
Away from the cameras, Kate hugged some of the attendees after they became emotional, it was reported.
William told the responders: “You’re all heroes. Please make sure you look after yourselves, please take your time, don’t rush back to work.”
The Kensington Palace statement said that ensuring emergency responders receive long-term mental health support following traumatic events was a cause “close to the heart” of William.
It noted the heir to the throne has “first-hand experience as an emergency responder while serving as a pilot” for a civilian air ambulance service and in the military flying search and rescue helicopters.
Royal recoveries
Kate announced on September 9 that she had finished chemotherapy treatment and was striving to be cancer-free.
In a highly emotional video message following her shock diagnosis that saw her stay out of the public eye for months, she said she was on a long road to “full recovery”.