Prince William told the emergency workers they were “heroes” and “true professionals”.
Phil Garrigan, the chief fire officer for Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, revealed that the Princess was so moved by what she had heard that she broke off from the engagement to go inside and hug the crews who described their anxiety and the toll that the experience had taken on their mental health.
“She could see the emotion in them and could see it was difficult for them to relay their feelings and to say how impactful events have been,” he said.
The unannounced visit was initially billed as a solo public engagement for the Prince of Wales but shortly before it began, it was confirmed that the Princess had decided to join him in order to show her support for the community.
Kensington Palace said in September that following the end of her chemotherapy treatment, the Princess would make a gradual return to a light programme of public engagements, subject to how she was feeling.
Both the Prince and Princess are understood to have felt it was important to visit Southport almost three months after the attack to show the community that it has not been forgotten and that they will continue to offer their support.
Just hours after the killings, the Prince and Princess shared a personal message of support for those affected.
“As parents, we cannot begin to imagine what the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today are going through,” they said.
Their Royal Foundation later made a donation to the National Police and Wellbeing Service to help fast track psychological and physical support for emergency responders.
The provision of mental health support for the emergency services has become one of the key themes of the Prince’s work following his stint as a pilot with the East Anglian Air Ambulance between March 2015 and July 2017.
During a visit to Wales Air Ambulance last month, he told the pilots and crew: “I made sure all the first responders after Southport were getting any help they needed. It’s important you guys feel supported at the right moment.”