King Charles Privately Meets Families Impacted by the Taylor Swift-Dance Class Stabbing
In a display of unity and sympathy, King Charles III privately met with the families of the three children tragically stabbed at a Taylor Swift-themed dance class. Welcoming them to the Clarence House residence, the king extended his home to the grieving families on Wednesday, August 21. Keep reading for more information about King Charles’ response to the tragedy, as well as Swift’s own statement about the brutal attack.
King Charles met with grieving families at Clarence House
A press secretary for King Charles confirmed the meeting to Us Weekly, stating, “His Majesty met with the bereaved families at Clarence House earlier today.” No further details were provided at the time.
King Charles also took time on Tuesday, August 20, to visit Southport, Merseyside, United Kingdom, where the attacks took place. While there, His Majesty met with some of the families, friends and children impacted by this horrible tragedy.
"It was lovely to meet him. I found him quite engaging, quite easy to talk to," John Hayes, a 63-year-old man who was injured on the day of the stabbing, told BBC.
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What happened at the Taylor Swift-themed dance class?
The unwarranted, unprovoked attack – targeting young children at a Swift-themed dance class – took place on July 29.
Three young girls – Bebe King (6), Elsie Dot Stancombe (7) and Alice Dasilva Aguiar (9) – tragically died from injuries sustained during the incident. Seven children and two adults were also injured in the attack — all of whom have been released from the hospital as of August 8.
"No words can describe the devastation that has hit our family as we try to deal with the loss of our little girl Bebe," the young girl’s family said in a statement following the atrocity.
In the same statement, the Dasilva Aguiar family told their daughter Alice, “Keep smiling and dancing like you love to do, our Princess. Like we said before to you, you're always our princess, and no one would change that. Love from Your Hero Daddy and Mummy.”
The day after the incident, Swift took to her Instagram Story to address the families and grieving fans, writing, “The horror of yesterday's attack in Southport is washing over me continuously, and I'm just completely in shock... The loss of life and innocence, and the horrendous trauma inflicted on everyone who was there, the families and first responders. These were just little kids at a dance class. I am at a complete loss for how to ever convey my sympathies to these families.”
Swift also invited two girls injured in the stabbing backstage of one of her shows on August 19, and sent each of the injured victims personalized gifts while they were in the hospital.
"You drew stars around my scars ???? ….,” Sami Foster, one of the girl’s mothers, wrote on TikTok. “The biggest thank you to @Taylor Swift and her mum for making the most magical night possible for us all ???? thank you for bringing Hope & Autumn pure happiness last night & always ??????"
As of the date of publication, the suspect in the stabbing — Axel Muganwa Rudakubana — has been charged and remains in custody. Rudakubana is a 17-year-old man from Banks, and his trial is set for January 20, 2025.
“Whilst these charges are a significant milestone within this investigation, this remains very much a live investigation and we continue to work with our partners from Lancashire Police and Counter Terrorism Policing North West (CTPNW),” Merseyside Police Chief Constable Serena Kennedy said in a news statement.
“I would like to thank all of the forces who have offered and supplied support to Merseyside Police during the last three days and I can confirm that we are being supported with investigative resources from across the North West.”
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