King Charles paid tribute to the three young girls who were killed while attending a Taylor-Swift themed dance class, in a show of support to those impacted and the community at large.
On Tuesday, Aug. 2, the monarch was seen walking among the many flowers, stuffed animals, and balloons left in honor of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9—all of whom were killed on July 29 while attending a children's dance class in Southport, England.
According to People, King Charles arrived at the community's town hall to privately "meet with the families and some of the children who were at the event when the attack happened."
Three hours before the meeting, Buckingham Palace announced the King's travel plans.
"His Majesty The King will travel to Southport to express his continued support for those affected by the 29th July attack and the riot which followed in the town, and to thank frontline emergency staff for their ongoing work serving local people," the palace said in a statement.
As a result, a crowd of community members and royal onlookers were present to greet the King, who reportedly waved and took the time to shake hands.
After meeting with the families directly impacted by the attack, King Charles reportedly "spent time with members of the Southport community," according to People, before taking in the growing memorial of tributes in honor of the victims.
In the wake of the deadly attack, which also left several children and two adults injured, a 17-year-old teenage boy was arrested and charged with three counts of murder and 10 counts of attempted murder.
Due to a slew of misinformation that permeated online alleging the child was an immigrant, riots broke out in the community that left over 50 officers injured as well as buildings and cars on fire.
Shortly after the incident, Prince William and Princess Kate issued a rare joint statement condemning the attack and expressing their sorrow and condolences.
"As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through," the couple wrote on Instagram. "We send our love, thoughts and prayers to all those involved in this horrid and heinous attack.
"Thank you also to the emergency responders who, despite being met with the most horrific scenes, demonstrated compassion and professionalism when your community needed you most," they added.
In their own statement, King Charles and Queen Camilla sent their "heartfelt condolences, prayers and deepest sympathies" to those impacted, while expressing their profound shock "to hear of the utterly horrific incident."
Recently, pop star Taylor Swift met with two young girls who survived the attack backstage at her "Eras Tour" show in London.
"The horror of yesterday's attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I'm just completely in shock," Swift wrote in a statement shared no her Instagram Stories after the attack occurred.
"The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and first responders," she continued. "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."
