In late July, a man went on a rampage at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class for little kids. Three little girls died in the stabbing, and the Southport community was devastated. The whole of England was devastated, and white nationalists used the stabbings as an excuse to go on their own racist rampages throughout the country. In those weeks, King Charles was vacationing in Scotland, and the Prince and Princess of Wales vacationed in Norfolk. Charles didn’t go to Southport and meet the families until more than three weeks later (and I theorized that Keir Starmer ordered him to do it). Meanwhile, William and Kate waited until October to meet with the families and first responders. Well, on Friday, Marie Claire released photos and information from the Duchess of Sussex’s dinner with Afghan refugees/immigrants. A short time later, Kensington Palace rushed out an announcement that Kate has invited the Southport families to her Christmas caroling show.
The Princess of Wales has invited child survivors of the Southport stabbing to her annual Christmas carol concert. The Princess, who is recovering from cancer, is holding her festive event at Westminster Abbey on Dec 6, Kensington Palace has confirmed.
It comes after the Princess and the Prince of Wales met privately with the bereaved families of Bebe King, 6, Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, and Alice Dasilva Aguiar, 9, who were fatally stabbed during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class on July 29 in Southport, as well as the children’s dance teacher. At the Southport Community Centre, they met emergency responders involved in the attack and heard about their experiences.
The Princess had set her sights on being able to stage the Together At Christmas service in 2024 despite the health challenges she faced in what the Prince of Wales described as a “brutal” year.
It forms part of her gradual return to public duties after finishing chemotherapy treatment in the summer.The Palace said the Princess, who honoured the war dead at Remembrance events earlier this month, wanted the theme of this year’s carol service to celebrate those supporting others in need, with a focus on the “importance of love and empathy”
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“The service will shine a light on individuals from all over the UK who have shown love, kindness and empathy towards others in their communities. This year, Her Royal Highness wanted to celebrate the many people supporting those in need – individuals who have inspired, counselled, comforted, and above all else, shown that love is the greatest gift we can receive. This theme takes inspiration from the Christmas story which encourages us to consider the experiences of others and the important human need of giving and receiving empathy.”
As I mentioned previously, Taylor Swift actually did more for these families and she did it faster – before Charles even stepped foot in Southport, Taylor had already called up the families and personally invited them to her London shows, AND she met with the families backstage. That probably meant so much more to those kids and those families. As for Kate inviting the kids to her Christmas piano recital… the thing is, I always get the feeling that this show is really dull, boring and not great for kids? It seems like it would be such a chore to get squirmy kids to settle down for two hours for this kind of thing. Now, did Kate announce this as a direct reaction to Meghan’s dinner? Eh. I think Kate had already invited the families, but yeah, the announcement was probably reactive.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Cover Images.
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- The Princess of Wales speaks with a critical care paramedic from the Air Ambulance during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on July 29. Picture date: Thursday October 10, 2024.,Image: 919252243, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Danny Lawson / Avalon
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales speak to members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on July 29. Picture date: Thursday October 10, 2024.,Image: 919252435, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Danny Lawson / Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales speaks with members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on July 29. Picture date: Thursday October 10, 2024.,Image: 919252475, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Danny Lawson / Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales speaks with members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on July 29. Picture date: Thursday October 10, 2024.,Image: 919252908, License: Rights-managed, Restrictions: *** NO UK USE FOR 48 HRS ***, Model Release: no, Credit line: Danny Lawson / Avalon
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- The Princess of Wales speaks with members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on July 29 Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Southport, United Kingdom When: 10 Oct 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Prince and Princess of Wales speak to members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on July 29 Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales, William, Prince of Wales Where: Southport, United Kingdom When: 10 Oct 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Princess of Wales listens to members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on July 29 Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Southport, United Kingdom When: 10 Oct 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Princess of Wales speaks to members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet rescue workers and the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on July 29 Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Southport, United Kingdom When: 10 Oct 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Princess of Wales laughs as she speaks with members of the emergency services during a visit to Southport Community Centre to meet the families of those caught up in the Southport knife attack earlier this year. Bebe King, six, Elsie Dot Stancombe, seven and Alice da Silva Aguiar, nine, died after a mass stabbing at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in the Merseyside town on July 29 Featuring: Catherine, Princess of Wales Where: Southport, United Kingdom When: 10 Oct 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
There it is. A day late and a dollar short for her to do something for these families and it’s not so much for them as it is for her. I feel for those families being used by her for her purpose. I’m not so sure if I am a family that was hurt by the violence that I would accept her invitation.
Point of clarification, the article states that Kate invited the “child survivors” – so the bereaved families were not invited, unless they had a child that survived as well as a child that died.
You would think that Kate would have invited the families of all the children that had been in the class.
Ok but I stand by my families not accepting/ accepting because they would have to agree to let their children go to said concert.
Oh, I totally agree with you on that, @susan, I just think it’s weird that the bereaved families, including that of the teacher, we’re not invited. Now, whether or not they would want to go is another question!
You’re right about the rest of the classes families and the bereaved families and teacher MayP but I don’t expect her or anyone from Kensington Palace to be able to read a room. Like I will always believe it’s about what those children can do for her not what she can do for the children.
More light shining! At this point I expect that the UK is in eternal darkness, bumbling around saying things like “Huh, so early years are important?” and “Homelessness shouldn’t be stigmatized, who knew?”
That light is powered with “keenness”
And this year’s talking point, ’empathy’.
Kate never gives credit to the real organizers and performer’s at the concert she makes it about herself
Inviting them to her xmas show was the agenda for her outing to see the families. This is a 2 point shot by going to see them (so so late) and inviting them to the show which is another headline for her without working. Lazy azz woman. Of course this comes just as Meg is out to an event with the afghani women – like it was going to make an impact. Lol.
These people have no shame.
So they have to travel halfway across the country to sit in a freezing cold cathedral for hours. It’s not exactly a treat.
I was thinking if those people are going to have to do it on their dime or will WanK be decent enough to arrange transport in some way?
So have they given up being keen? Empathy seems to be the new buzz word.
@Somebody and urgent optimism but not urgent action!
This. The Wanks have learned a new word -empathy. Now who’s going to use it more Peggy or Buttons?
Watch the whole rota singing her praises for doing the bare minimum: invite those grieving people and have some great photos opps for the cancer stricken princess.
If the families appreciate this invitation, then I’m happy for them that they’re able to attend.
Viewing Kate and KP, this is great marketing. It’s going to get some charitable headlines.
Kate makes it about her not those charities
Yup, this invitation was absolutely issued to show how nice it was to issue the invitation. Not (in the first place) because of who was invited. Kate et al want nice stories about Christmas with their names attached.
This is about Kate. Those families need more than a concert organized by others to heal while this woman makes it all about herself and the media make it all about what she wore.
She will bask in the applause she will get like at Wimbledon and brave Kate stories will dominate the headlines.
Exactly. Those families are being used for good press for K. I hope they actually get dome enjoyment out of this.
Using the victims of a major trauma for her own PR is very gross. They are still struggling with PTSD and who knows if they have been given therapists for help.
Haven’t the poor families been through enough??
This could have been announced after the concert was done. These families don’t need to be harassed with publicity right now.
Precisely
Agreed.
These people need to get over the assumption that their presence makes a difference in people’s lives.
The issue is that every time the Waleses do something like this, the focus is still always on them. They are incapable of centering the people they are supposedly highlighting or helping.
If this helps the families have some comfort during this time of the year, then its a good thing. But KP isn’t inviting them for that reason. They’re doing it so Kate looks better.
*tosses in some empathy*
HA! I needed that cackle, thanks 🙂
Going to a dumb concert for Kate’s benefit isn’t going to help them. Notice how when Taylor invited them to her concert none of this was announced until after she did it? And we didn’t see any photos of the kids and families.
It is wild how a pop star can handle this kind of thing so much better than the supposed expert and patron of mental health charities.
Also is Kate making sure that the families are set up with proper therapy?
She is using the victims of trauma for her own PR. It is gross.
It’s gross but its pretty par for the course for KP. Everything is about W&K, not about the people they supposedly serve and are supposed to be helping.
Maybe I am mistaken, but for any parent who went through loosing a child, sitting at a Christmas concert might be the last thing they want. What will it bring them?
It would make so much more sense to give some attention to foundations or charities supporting parents in such situations, maybe giving them some money and platform? Organizing help/few therapy sessions for those particular parents?
Well, they wouldn’t know because they weren’t invited! 😂
Yeah, I don’t think I’d be up for that, not the first Christmas anyway. Geez Louise, read the room Katie Keen. Or her handlers, who actually set this all up.
One key point not mentioned is that the families will be coming to London and staying in hotels etc… who is paying? The charity set up in Southport, NOT Kate – that says it all for me.
Hey – they could have stayed at the huge empty apartment in KP?
It is just a lazy photo op and I do hope those families are not exploited for Kate’s needs.
Yes! I came here to say that! Someone else is paying for the travel arrangements, it is ridiculous that she is taking so much credit for this when it is the bare minimum. It is gross. I noticed the article conveniently left this detail out as well.
Is “empathy” the new go-to word for the WandK? William was parroting it and now Kate, to paraphrase the great Inigo Montoya “you keep using that word, I don’t think it means what you think it means “.
Inconceivable.
I see what you did there.
This is about Kate getting good press not the grieving South point families.
My money says Kate had nothing to do with this “invitation” . She has “people” who’s job it is to make her look good.
Boy, those Stiff-Upper-Lippers sure are getting touchy-feely!
I hope the families enjoy the concert. That’s all I got.
Liz Hatton and her family should also be invited. She and her family have shown true grace under pressure. I liked seeing her do that fashion photo shoot recently and being praised by a top photographer for her flair.
This is the link to article on Liz working with Rankin.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c87x1e4zxjpo
I have no doubt that she is invited.
Or what about Chris Hoy? After he announced that he had terminal prostate cancer in September he was on the airwaves within days lobbying the Government for improved access to earlier testing. No airy-fairy skipping through forests for him.
Good publicity for Kate, I expect they would rather be left alone to grieve with the rest of their families.
She never met a tragedy she wouldn’t milk for her own PR.
the really sad thing is that royals absolutely should be doing this x1000 but that’s based on them legitimately caring about their ‘subjects’ and they absolutely do not. This crowd only care for themselves.
They could easily have waited until the concert was filmed before they announce this. But they wanted advance PR and are using the victims of a life altering trauma for their own benefit.
Even Sarah Everard’s death. She did a “walkabout” at the vigil without a mask, purposely I’m sure. She needed good publicity at the time as Spare had just outed her for being an uptight snob toward Meghan.
Wonder if this empathy theme lets her bust out a doctor ( or a stand-in as they used to joke in the states, “ I’m not a doctor but I play one on TV”) to “thank “ for her care and ensure all spotlights are on her.
Kate had a brutal year? WTAF? You know who had a brutal year? The families of the murdered children. Why do they ALWAYS make this about “poor Kate”? You know who else had a brutal year? ME. I had half my insides removed and a bowel resectioning. I have a urostomy bag for the rest of my life. I’ve been through chemo that made me so sick I thought it was the end, and am still going through more chemo. I still doubt very much that Kate’s problem was cancer and that this is all just coverup for a whole mish-mash of personal problems with her incandescent tool of a husband and the family she’s running from or has been forced out of.
Now these are some health challenges. I wish you well; you are very brave.
@jaded, “I still doubt very much that Kate’s problem was cancer and that this is all just coverup for a whole mish-mash of personal problems with her incandescent tool of a husband and the family she’s running from or has been forced out of.”
💯💯💯💯💯💯
All my best to you, @jaded, in your recovery. With everything you’ve gone through, you continue to provide us with informative, insightful and hilarious commentary – you are appreciated !
. You’ve got your plate full of health challenges. Prayers coming your way, Jaded.
Jaded, sorry you’ve had such a horrible time. It all sounds brutal.
Right there with you Jaded. I had a year’s worth of chemo, radiation with oral chemo, a failed surgery to remove a pancreatic tumor and 5 months later a successful Whipple surgery. I am forever grateful to my oncologists, my surgeon and all the people involved in my care. I name them and sing their praises every chance I get. I am grateful to be alive. Pancreatic cancer does not have great odds. So many things were removed from my insides and eating is a chore. But I am still incredible grateful to be here to spend time with my family.
Thank you Dr. Christopher Wolfgang at NYU Langone!
Kate bugs me to no end. I usually just lurk here. But I can’t stand her “brave” self another minute.
Wishing everyone a healthy holiday.
Is Southport not some distance from London? It would require effort and expense to get to the concert. I wonder if any arrangements are made for their transportation or do they have to make their own arrangements? Children would have to be accompanied by at least one parent. I wonder if KP thought this one through.
Southport is 4hours away from London. Yes it would be of considerable expense for these families ,some of whom are not well off ,to travel to London. It would also be very expensive to get a hotel in London in December. Unless Kate is offering bed and board at BP or even offering to pay herself. I imagine these families will go out of good manner at considerable financial cost to themselves.
So, in effect, this “kind” gesture could cause hardship for the recipients of “kind” gesture. I wonder if Kate invited the families when she and William visited Southport. But probably not. I’m sure the press would have known about it if Kate had made such a “kind” gesture. Hope I’m not underestimating Kate’s desire to be kind and do good. Although, those things have never been stated as Kate’s guiding principles for what she does with her privilege.
Here’s my theory. They had really hoped for some sort of project with TS so they could latch onto her celebrity(more imaginary competition with Harry and Meghan..see the biggest pop star in the world likes ME better! ugh) and they weren’t able to make it happen because whatever your opinion on TS, she is a smart businesswoman guided by smart capable people she listens to. Either they weren’t able to pitch an appropriate thing, the call was never returned or they were all out told no. They’ll never publicize this. But I can see the Southport families being tacked onto her keen carolE concert as almost an afterthought to prove she is the kindest most empathetic princess EVA!
Oh, spare me: The concert’s theme will be love and empathy.
It’s neither love nor empathy to milk a tragedy to make oneself look good. FFS, Kate, get an adviser who can at least teach you to fake empathy more convincingly.