King Charles, Queen Camilla and Prince William and wife Kate have broken their silence on an incident that happened in Liverpool this week.
On Monday (May 26), a car drove into a number of pedestrians in Liverpool’s city centre. It happened during the Premier League victory parade, after Liverpool football club won the title. Police have since arrested a 53-year-old white British man from the Liverpool area.
The ambulance service said 27 people went to hospital for treatment, with two – including a child – seriously injured. 20 people also received treatment at the scene.
In two separate statements, the king and queen as well as the Prince and Princess of Wales spoke on the “tragedy”.
King Charles and Queen Camilla issue statement after Liverpool incident
In a statement shared to the royal family’s official social media pages, the king said: “My wife and I were deeply shocked and saddened to hear of the terrible events that took place in Liverpool on Monday.
“It is truly devastating to see that what should have been a joyous celebration for so many could end in such distressing circumstances.”
What should have been a joyful celebration ended with tragedy.
The monarch added: “At this heartbreaking time for the people of Liverpool, I know that the strength of community spirit for which your city is renowned will be a comfort and support to those in need.”
Meanwhile, Charles and Camilla sent their “prayers and deepest sympathy” to those affected.
The statement concluded: “My special gratitude goes out to the first responders, emergency services personnel and other individuals who rushed to the aid of the injured.”
Prince William and Kate share statement on Liverpool tragedy
Meanwhile, on their social accounts, Prince William and Kate spoke about the terrible incident.
The couple said they felt “deeply saddened by the scenes in Liverpool yesterday”. They said the “joyful celebration” ended in “tragedy”.
William and Kate added: “Our thoughts are with those who were injured and to the first responders and emergency services on the ground. W & C.”
On Monday, Merseyside Police issued a statement on the incident.
It read: “We were contacted at just after 18:00 today, Monday 26 May, following reports a car had been in collision with a number of pedestrians on Water Street.”
The statement explained that the car had stopped at the scene. Police then detained a male.
Latest on Liverpool incident
On Tuesday, Princess Anne visited the Royal Liverpool University Hospital in the wake of the incident.
The Princess Royal met with local officials and emergency service representatives who coordinated the response to the incident.
In a press conference on Monday night, police called the incident “isolated”. They added: “The incident is not currently being treated as terrorism.”
