King Charles was greeted by hundreds of people in Southport on Tuesday as he visited Merseyside to meet those affected by last month’s knife attack.
Members of the crowd, some of whom had been waiting hours for the king’s arrival, cheered and applauded as he arrived at Southport town hall. A number of them waved union flags and shouted “God save the king.”
The monarch stepped out of his car just after 1.30pm, before stopping to read some of the hundreds of tributes that lay among flowers, balloons and cuddly toys, left the on fountain outside the building in memory of Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, nine, who all died as a result of the attack.
The king stopped to chat and and shake hands with several members of the public, some of whom were moved to tears.
Chatting to one woman, he said: “Look at all the flowers,” while Southport resident Linsey Hislop, 43, asked him about his health and how he was feeling following his cancer treatment. “I’m not too bad,” the king replied.
“I love the royal family, and my son is a police officer who was working during the riots, so it’s really good of the king to come,” Hislop, a foster carer, said.
Louise Watson, 44, who works at Southport College, had come down to see the king with her two sons, and two nieces.
Running through their names, she laughed, saying: “You’re going to love this, we’ve got Charles, Megan and Harry … it wasn’t intentional!”
“It’s lovely, it’s great for the kids to see it,” she said. “I think it’s really nice, I think it’s showing respect for the families that have been affected.
“I think it’ll mean a lot to the town and particularly for any families that have been involved.”
King Charles “waved straight at” her other niece, Eleanor, 10, who said: “It was really nice to see the king, how he cares, and he’s going to speak to the families.”
Watson’s son, and the king’s namesake, 17-year-old Charles, added: “It’s nice that he’s come to show his respect and condolences for what’s happened, it’s a bit of a motivator, a pick-up for Southport.”
Gina Wallwork, 77, said: “It’s a wonderful thing that he’s doing, to come. I do think it’ll mean a lot to everyone in the town, it was right for him to come.”
She added that everyone had been feeling “just really sad” since the attack on Monday 29 July.
“I think it’s a good gesture, a really nice gesture,” another spectator, Alan Beddow, 86, said. “I think especially because Kate’s ill, and he’s ill, it’s amazing really. The last time I came out to see a royal was when Princess Di opened Tesco.”
Charles was greeted by Dr Ruth Hussey, the vice lord lieutenant of Merseyside, and June Burns, the mayor of Sefton, and then went inside to meet some of the children who survived the attack, their families and the police liaison team working with them.
During his visit, King Charles signed the book of condolence that was opened shortly after the attack, using his own fountain pen to write his name and the date, adding: “In deepest sympathy.”
As well as meeting families affected by the crime, he spent time with members of the community who had helped to bring the town together in the wake of the riots that broke out shortly afterwards.
Jenna and Anthony Johnson, a brother and sister who run Triviso Ice Cream, and handed out free ice-creams to residents living in the Sussex Road area near the mosque that was targeted in the riots, were introduced to the king, who asked if their ice-cream was Italian.
Faye Priestley, an account manager for Travis Perkins, organised donations of building supplies to those whose homes were damaged in the riots and also helped to mend the fence at the mosque.
She gave King Charles a Travis Perkins cap, prompting him to quip: “You get these salespeople everywhere.”
After spending about an hour in the building, he left to more cheers and applause. The king is due to meet the three bereaved families in London on Wednesday.
After leaving the town hall, the king took the short journey to meet local politicians at Southport community fire station, as well as representatives from Merseyside’s police, ambulance and fire and rescue services, and from community groups, including faith leaders.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, has been charged with murder in relation to the attack. He has also been charged with the attempted murder of yoga class instructor Leanne Lucas, businessman John Hayes and eight children, who cannot be named for legal reasons, and possession of a kitchen knife with a curved blade.
He will next appear at Liverpool crown court on 25 October for a pre-trial preparation hearing.
