Kate Middleton meets families of Southport victims with William in surprise joint appearance – latest news

In a post shared to Twitter/X, they congratulated walkers for their extraordinary achievement of walking 450 miles, through 11 countries over a six-week period in aid of an anti-homelessness charity.

It read: “Congratulations to Chloe, Jagger, Peter, Cecile and Lorie on your extraordinary achievement! The walkers have been raising money for homelessness charity Emmaus, of which The Queen is Patron.”

A link was then shared for anyone who wishes to donate to the cause. It can be found here.

They did so by sharing a video from Kate’s Early Years project, which sees members of its Business Taskforce discuss the subject.

“It is vital that we look after the mental health and well-being of parents and carers because this has a significant impact on the children that they are raising,” a contributor said.

You can watch the video below:

The Prince and Princess of Wales’s visit to Southport today has been described as a “massive boost” to those affected by July’s atrocity.

Former chief constable Andy Rhodes, who is involved in The Royal Foundation’s Blue Light Together programme, said: “To have somebody clearly as passionate and genuine about supporting them and their mental health to come and speak to them is a massive boost.”

He also said the future king and queen “genuinely listened” to the people they spoke to.

He added: “It was quite emotional. It is still raw for people.”

The heir to the throne, 42, described them as “true professionals” and said they had endured a “bumpy few months”.

He said: “The first thing we thought about was actually how on earth you guys are going to handle having seen what you’ve seen.

“So please take your time, don’t rush back to work, do whatever you need to, talk about it, give your superiors a hard time if they are not letting you have that time to decompress because it’s so important you have those moments.”

Phil Garrigan said he had a “really lovely fleeting conversation” with both Kate and William.

He added: “The Princess of Wales broke off and came back into the building to give a hug to the people who responded because she could see the emotion in them and could see it was difficult for them to relay their feelings and to say how impactful events have been.

“I think that just shows a really caring side and is very, very touching for them.”

It is believed that the visit was planned as a solo engagement for William, but Kate, who has recently finished chemotherapy, wanted to attend to show her support as well.

They visited Southport to privately meet with the bereaved families of the Southport attacks, as well as the dance teacher who was present and first responders.

Kate, 42, is said to have wanted to attend to show her “support, empathy and compassion to the local community”.

Sarah, 64, who has also recently experienced cancer, told ITV’s This Morning that she loved how Kate is “showing the world what it is to really look after yourself”.

“I think that’s extraordinary, what’s she doing,” she added, describing the video, which featured Prince William and the Wales children as “just incredible”.

Taking to Twitter/X, they wrote on the official Kensington Palace account: “A #WorldMentalHealthDay thread with people who’ve inspired us and resources that could help you or those you know who may be struggling.”

The couple then recommended organisations including YoungMindsUK to any young people who are struggling, MindCharity, as well as the Matrix Project in the West Midlands.

The Duke of Edinburgh has opened up about the Maltese people’s “deep and sincere” affection for his late parents, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

Edward, 60, made the revelations at the residence of the High Commissioner on a four-day trip to the country to mark the 60th anniversary of its independence.

The late Elizabeth and Philip lived in Malta between 1949 and 1951, during the early part of her marriage to Philip, who was stationed there as an officer in the Royal Navy.

Prince Edward said: “The other thing that comes across so strongly is the very deep and sincere affection that so many people on this island have for my parents and that very special time that they had here with their young family, and it was lovely to visit the villa where they stayed during that time.

“The number of people who have said, ‘Have you been to the villa and are you going to go and see it?’, it obviously means a great deal to everybody here.”