Emotionally affected children, who tragically lost a classmate in the Southport stabbing incident, shared their feelings of ‘darkness and uncontrollable tears’ with the Prince and Princess of Wales following the horrific event.

William and Kate, both 43, travelled to Churchtown Primary School on Tuesday, where Alice da Silva Aguiar and Bebe King had been pupils. 

Axel Rudakubana, aged 19, carried out an attack on a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on June 29, 2024. In his rampage, he tragically took the lives of Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven, Bebe King, six, and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, while injuring eight other children.

To provide their continuous support to the families affected by these tragic murders, the royal couple made a heartfelt return visit to Southport, having previously visited the community in October 2024.

During a private meeting with Alice’s and Bebe’s parents, the Prince and Princess were taken to the school library, where classmates of Alice showcased their art therapy projects. These projects were created to help them process the ‘darkness and grief’ they felt since last year.

Sitting with students in a Year 6 classroom, they observed three group paintings displayed on the wall. A teacher explained, ‘The children collaborated to create an emotional journey piece,’ to which Kate responded, ‘I noticed that when we entered the room.’

One young girl detailed the artwork’s significance, saying, ‘We used dark colors for the backgrounds to represent our dark thoughts and sadness over the loss and grief. The rain symbolized our tears, as they were uncontrollable.’

‘The lightning represents our anger and sadness. We wanted to express all of our feelings on it.’ 

Kate, who was standing in front of the young girl as she spoke, intently listened and nodded before asking: ‘Were you able to all do different parts of the picture?’ 

The young pupils replied ‘Yes’, with one of the boys explaining the first image, which appeared to be a painting of a wolf-like figure howling in front of a full moon in a forest.

He said: ‘We were alone and we couldn’t share our thoughts. We were also crying up to the sky because we didn’t know how to express our feelings at that point. 

‘The squirrel, which is in the top left corner, that means we had jumping thoughts and we couldn’t control what we were thinking.’

Kate: ‘Were these things you felt you wanted to put into this picture to show and express how you felt?’

The kids agreed, before Kate – who studied history of art at St. Andrews University – replied: ‘Gosh, it’s very powerful.’

The second painting appeared to show a blooming flower which had the children’s handprints on them, as it depicted them ‘starting to work together’.

‘The flower represent growth and our handprints are us all coming together and us always being there for one another,’ she said. 

Kate responded: ‘I love the details, it’s very clever. You’ve created this totally unique piece of art that speaks to your journey and it’s very unusual for young people to be able to express bad and hard and difficult emotions like you do and actually doing it through art is a really clever but really expressive way. Has it really helped you?’

The children agreed and the Princess of Wales then asked them to explain their final piece of artwork.  

A young boy said: ‘This final piece here is how we all helped each other get over the sadness and grief that we felt through the time when we lost a very special person. The butterflies represent the three girls, Alice, Bebe and Elsie and the bees represent Bebe.’

Another girl chimed in and added: ‘The cherry blossom represents that in spring we became more happy and weren’t sad anymore and just blossomed up. The hope sign represents that we have hope and that we are looking forward instead of backwards.’

Prince William said: ‘Well done you guys. It’s got such a strong meaning behind it.’

The future King and Queen looked visibly moved by the touching artwork and praised the kids for using art as a way to express their complex feelings. William also commended how ‘classmates have come together to support each other and remember the girls in their own way’.

The royal couple’s visit to Alice and Bebe’s school came after they spent around 20 minutes in an ’emotional’ private meeting this morning with the grieving parents of Elsie during a visit to her school, Farnborough Road Infant and Junior School. 

In a speech to pupils of Churchtown Primary School, the Prince urged the classmates of Bebe and Alice to honour their memories and ‘be brave, be joyful and be kind’. 

Speaking in the surroundings of an inspirational new playground built at the school, William said: ‘The tragic events that unfolded in this town last year still remain difficult to comprehend.

‘Last year, Alex and Sergio, [Alice’s parents] you told us you wanted to create a special playground in memory of the girls and here we are.

‘This playground is a symbol of how the community have come together to create such a positive space for the pupils of this school – a symbol of remembrance and resilience, a testament that love will always overcome tragedy.

‘Many lives were changed on that terrible day – including countless members of this school community.

‘To the teaching community here at Churchtown Primary and Farnborough Road, where we visited this morning – each and every one of you has gone above and beyond to help heal this incredible group of young people. Thank you.

‘To Alex and Sergio, Lauren and Ben, Jenni and David – 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.’

The school and the community of Southport have been on a journey of grief since the attack and are now focused on looking ahead in a hopeful and positive way, sources said.

As a result, the school set up a fundraising appeal for a memorial playground to honour Alice and Bebe.

Surplus funds have been distributed between local charities who have helped recovery efforts in Southport, as well as being split between three charities founded in memory of Alice, Bebe and Elsie – Alice’s WonderDance Foundation, Bebe’s Hive and Elsie’s Story. 

Fundraising efforts included Alice and Elsie’s fathers, as well as the school’s headteacher Jinnie Payne, running in the London Marathon. Their Royal Highness privately donated to this appeal.

As well as meeting with Alice and Bebe’s families, who gifted the royal couple Taylor Swift-inspired friendship bracelets in honour of their children, William and Kate spoke to pupils who were affected in the attack last year.

They also had the opportunity to meet with a group of Alice’s classmates to hear about an art project they have been working on to show the progression of their grief and how they are looking towards the future with hope.

The playground has been created to serve as a joyful, healing space for the school’s pupils and includes a stage and new indoor and outdoor library, as well as areas for quiet reflection, a multi games space, climbing frame and bike cycle track for the youngest children.

The couple joined students, teachers and the bereaved parents to celebrate the new playground, with both the Headteacher of Churchtown Primary School and the Prince of Wales delivering short remarks.

A poem was also read out by the headteacher to William, Kate and the children about hope. It was written by a pupil.

A source said William and Kate ‘care deeply for the families and the Southport community, and that’s why they wanted to go back to show their ongoing support’. 

The prince and princess then joined all 700 pupils and teaching staff plus Alice and Bebe’s parents for an event in the playground, walking in through the children who were singing the song ‘A Million Dreams’ from The Greatest Showman.

Headteacher Jinnie Payne thanked them for coming and for the support they have given.

After the prince’s speech Kate was given a posy of flowers by two pupils – Evelyn Hughes and George Macgregor from Year 6 – who executed a sweet curtsey and bow.

The children finished by performing Proud by Heather Small to the smiling prince and princess.

Speaking afterwards Lauren King described how special the event had been for them.

‘It’s really special. I think we’re really grateful anyway, how Bebe’s been honoured so much in the school. And the fact seeing the Prince and the Princess support that and be here has been… just amazing,’ she said.