King Charles III meets survivors of a massacre

LONDON– King Charles III met with survivors of the shooting spree that killed three young girls in northern England on Tuesday. They viewed flowers and teddy bears laid in memory of the victims and signed a book of condolence as Britain recovers from widespread unrest fuelled by misinformation surrounding the tragedy.

The monarch travelled to the seaside town of Southport, northwest of Liverpool, for a private meeting where he heard the experiences of some of the children who were attacked at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29.

After the meeting, Charles signed the condolence book at Southport Town Hall, adding: “With deepest sympathy.”

The royal visit comes as people across Britain grapple with the aftermath of a week of xenophobic unrest that followed the attack after right-wing activists spread false claims on social media that a Muslim immigrant was behind the stabbing.

But in Southport, the community's attention is focused on the three young girls who lost their lives in the attack: Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9.

On Tuesday, Charles offered his support.

Crowds cheered the king outside Southport Town Hall, where mourners laid bouquets of flowers and cuddly toys in memory of the murdered children.

Among those who met the monarch were Paige Whitby, Harriet Neal, Naomi Taylor, all 13, and 10-year-old Emie Todd. The children said they had raised £2,000 ($2,600) for Alder Hey Children's Hospital by selling lemonade.

“It was a shock to meet the king,” said Naomi. “We were excited and nervous.”

Charles also met with police officers, paramedics and other emergency services personnel who responded to the attack and the ensuing unrest, as well as local residents who helped one another in a time of confusion and distress.

Among them were siblings Antony and Jenna Johnson, who run an ice cream parlor in Southport and distributed free sweets to local children in the days following the attack.

“We wanted to hand out ice cream after the riot because the kids were all so scared,” said Jenna Johnson. “We wanted to give them a reason to get out of the house.”

Around 1,100 people were arrested in Britain's worst unrest in more than a decade, with the government announcing that rioters who threw bricks at police, looted shops and attacked mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers would face “the full force of the law”.