Royal visit in Southport honors Taylor Swift-themed dance class victims

Prince William and Catherine, the Prince and Princess of Wales, traveled to Southport on Tuesday to meet families affected by last year’s Taylor Swift-themed dance class knife attack, nearly a year after the three girls were fatally stabbed. Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, were killed in July 2024 when a teenage assailant attacked a class designed for young children to dance to Swift’s music. Axel Rudakubana, who was 18 at the time, pleaded guilty to the crimes and was later sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 52 years. The royal visit underscored ongoing support for a community still healing from the tragedy.

The royals began at Farnborough Road Infant and Junior School, where they spoke privately with Stancombe’s parents and younger sister before greeting teachers and students. Middleton, addressing the pupils, praised their fundraising and community work, telling them, “What a fantastic thing to learn how to raise money to help other people. Fantastic, so keep up your hard work, and thank you.” The couple then traveled to Churchtown Primary School, where they met privately with Alice da Silva Aguiar’s parents, Sergio and Alex, before being shown a playground built as a memorial to the victims. In a speech at the playground opening, William reflected on the impact of the day, saying that many lives were changed and that Bebe, Alice and Elsie’s friends and classmates have rallied to support one another and remember the girls in their own way. He added, “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. Enjoy this playground. Be brave, be joyful and be kind.” Middleton and William’s comments echoed the royal family’s emphasis on healing, resilience, and community support in the wake of such violence.

Images from the day captured the royals’ engagement with students and staff as they toured the schools and observed the memorial spaces that have become focal points for remembrance.

The visit followed the couple’s previous trip to Southport in October 2024, when they met with a dance teacher who was injured and with emergency personnel who responded to the attack. At the time, the royals issued statements expressing shock and sympathy for the victims’ families and those affected, underscoring the Royal Family’s ongoing support for Southport’s schools and first responders as they coped with the aftermath.

Public remarks and social posts from Kensington Palace described the Tuesday trip as a continuation of the couple’s engagement with the Southport community. The Kensington Royal account posted that the visit showed a community “pulling together and healing in the wake of the tragic incident,” and that it was a deeply moving visit to remember Bebe, Alice and Elsie while witnessing how schools and families have come together—with spaces of love, connection and hope being created in the wake of the loss.

The legal case related to the tragedy concluded in mid-2024 with Rudakubana’s guilty plea. He received a life sentence with a minimum term of 52 years, ensuring he will remain in prison for the foreseeable future. The case and the subsequent community response have continued to shape how Southport commemorates the victims and supports those affected—particularly the families who privately welcomed the royals and expressed gratitude for the ongoing recognition and solidarity from national figures.

As Southport memorials evolve and schools adapt to the ongoing needs of their students, the royal visit serves as a public channel for continued acknowledgment of the lives lost and the long road to healing for the community. The king and queen’s presence did not seek to replace local commemoration or therapy programs; rather, it highlighted the importance of sustained support, remembrance, and acts of service by families, schools, and volunteers alike.