King Charles III visited Southport, a town in northwest England, on Tuesday, August 20, 2024 where he paid tribute to the victims of a recent knife attack that claimed the lives of three young girls and sparked nationwide anti-immigration riots.
The 75-year-old monarch walked through a vast sea of floral tributes left for the victims and met with children who survived the July 29 attack, which took place during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. The attacker, 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana, has been charged with murder and attempted murder.
In addition to meeting survivors and their families, King Charles thanked emergency personnel for their ongoing efforts to support the community. “I wanted to express my deepest gratitude to the frontline emergency staff for their tireless work in serving the people of this town during such a challenging time,” he said.
The visit came after some public criticism for the King’s initial silence on the riots that followed the attack. While Charles did express condolences to the families of the victims, he did not address the unrest until nearly two weeks later. During the riots, misinformation spread online, falsely claiming that Rudakubana, who was born in Britain to Rwandan Christian parents, was a Muslim asylum seeker, fueling the violence.
In a later statement, the King praised the community’s response to the riots, stating that he was “greatly encouraged by the reaction that countered the aggression and criminality from a few with the compassion and resilience of the many.”
The riots, which affected more than a dozen towns and cities across England, led to over a thousand arrests. Prime Minister Keir Starmer has vowed swift justice for those involved in the violence.
King Charles, who was receiving daily briefings during the height of the unrest, expressed hope that “the shared values of mutual respect and understanding will continue to strengthen and unite the nation.”
The King’s visit included private meetings with those directly affected by the tragedy, as well as discussions with local leaders and faith groups impacted by the violent disorder that followed the attack.
