The Prince and Princess of Wales William and Catherine made a special visit to Southport today where they delighted hundreds of excited children at local schools.
They began with a tour of Farnborough Road Infant and Junior School in Birkdale, where they were delighted to see a show garden recently donated to the pupils from this year’s Southport Flower Show.
They then headed to Churchtown Primary School in Churchtown, where they admired the new playground and library which have been created thanks to a fundraising drive this year which has raised over £400,000.
Their Highnesses spoke to pupils at Churchtown and listened to a rendition of ‘A Million Dreams’ by all 700 of the schoolchildren, with The Prince of Wales delivering a speech to the youngsters.
The schools were attended by three of the young girls who were killed in the Southport tragedy last year.
Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, was a pupil at Farnborough Road Infants School while Bebe King, 6, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, had been pupils at Churchtown Primary School.
Prince William said: “The tragic events that unfolded in this town last year still remain difficult to comprehend.”
The royal visitors enjoyed speaking with teachers and pupils at the schools.
The playground built in memory of the girls at Churchtown Primary was a “symbol of how the community have come together to create such a positive space,” the prince said.
The playground was also a “symbol of remembrance and resilience, a testament that love will always overcome tragedy,” he added.
Prince William paid tribute to the girls’ classmates and to the pastoral work of the teaching staff, who had “gone above and beyond to help heal this incredible group of young people”.
The royal couple saw an art project helping children to deal with their grief for their lost friends.
The prince also praised the response of the bereaved parents: “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.”
Mr Antell and Miss Sephton, the headteachers at Farnborough Road Juniors and Farnborough Road Infants schools in Birkdale, said: “We were honoured to welcome the Prince and Princess of Wales to Farnborough Road Schools today.
“It was a wonderful way to recognise the determination of our school community to work together to help the children at our schools recover from the terrible tragedy.”
Prince William and Catherine had made a poignant visit to Southport last autumn, in what was the princess’s first public engagement after she had finished her chemotherapy.
They had met bereaved families and emergency workers who had responded to the attack in Southport, in a visit that was intended to show the local community that they had “not been forgotten”.
In a letter to parents and carers, Churchtown Primary School Headteacher Jinnie Payne said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be able to share some wonderful news with you. Today, Churchtown Primary had the incredible honour of welcoming Their Royal Highnesses, The Prince and Princess of Wales, to our school!
“They joined us to celebrate our new playgrounds, and Prince William spoke to the children about how fantastic it was to see them enjoying the spaces.
“He also kindly apologised that he and The Princess hadn’t been able to join us for the official opening last week.
“It was such a proud moment, and the children were simply outstanding. Their impeccable behaviour and enthusiasm shone through, and they represented not only our school but the whole Southport community brilliantly.
“Watching them chatting with the Prince and Princess was a truly special moment.I am delighted to be able to tell you now what an unforgettable day it has been.
“This visit has given our children memories they will cherish for a long time to come, and it was a real celebration of what we have all achieved together. Thank you, as always, for being such an important part of this journey.”
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