The Duchess of Cambridge has made a surprise hospital visit to meet with those affected by the London Bridge attacks, a terror-driven rampage which left eight people dead and 48 more injured.
Kate, 35, arrived at the King’s College Hospital in Denmark Hill, south-east London, shortly before 2pm on Monday (local time). The hospital was one of two facilities to receive the bulk of casualties in the aftermath of the atrocity.
During the appearance which was not publicised in advance, the much-loved royal privately visited the bedsides of six patients who are still being treated. In total, 14 members of the public were admitted to the facility, predominantly suffering from stab wounds — of those, seven are deemed to be in a critical condition and continue to require round-the-clock care.
The Duchess made the surprise visit to the hospital in the early afternoon.
The mother-of-two, who was dressed in an understated navy blue skirt suit and coordinating point-toe pumps, also spoke with staff at the facility who rallied in the aftermath of the city’s June 3 terror attack, making sure to shake hands and exchange words with many.
“I suppose at the time you didn’t know how big or what the extent of the incident was,” she told hospital staff. “You just got your heads down and got on with it. The response was amazing. I presume you are trained to cope with this but hope this kind of incident never happens. What you do is remarkable.”
The Duchess was also overhead asking a female staffer if she had received enough emotional support in the wake of the atrocity.
She responded: “We look after each other.”
Among those she met with was Lynne Watkins-Hulme, Head of Nursing, who shared her harrowing experience with the royal.
“What was really noticeable on Saturday night was the amount of female patients that were involved,” she said. “That was quite traumatic for the staff. We are not used to so many females being injured.”
She added: “We are used to seeing people who are stabbed. But to have six women who were stabbed, multiple times – it was just the amount of people – that was upsetting.”
The much-loved royal took the time to praise the efforts of all those who worked tirelessly in the aftermath of the horrific attack.
She listened intently as doctors and nurses alike shared their memories and recollections of the atrocity.
The mother-of-two was sure to query whether staff had received enough support following the attacks.
Kate’s visit follows that of her husband, Prince William, who recently travelled to Manchester to praise the efforts of those who had worked tirelessly in the aftermath of the terror bombing at the Ariana Grande concert on May 22.
During the visit, the father-of-two dropped by the Greater Manchester Police headquarters to meet with officers who were among the first to respond to the atrocity.
He also privately visited the Manchester Royal Infirmary to meet some of the young survivors of the terrorist attack.
