Princess Kate, who has kept out of the public eye this year as she recovers from her battle with cancer, surprised fans on Thursday, October 10, when she appeared with Prince William for the first time since completing her chemotherapy treatments.

The couple met with families and first responders affected by the tragic knife attack that killed three girls during a Taylor Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England, this summer.

The Princess of Wales spoke with the families of Elsie Dot Stancombe, 7, Bebe King, 6, and Alice DaSilva Aguiar, 9, who were killed in the July incident. They also spoke with the girls' dance teacher, Leanne Lucas, who was injured while trying to protect her students.

With Thursday being World Mental Health Day, the royal couple, dressed in coordinated burgundy outfits, took time to meet with fire, ambulance, and police who responded to the attack. At the Southport Community Center, Princess Kate and Prince William, both first responders themselves, discussed the impact the incident had on their mental health.

The Southport community is working together to provide mental health services to personnel who responded to the attack, and the Welsh couple took time to speak with practitioners who have been providing that support since the July tragedy.

According to Kensington Palace, “Ensuring that emergency response personnel receive long-term mental health support after a traumatic event is from my own experience as an emergency responder while serving as a pilot in the Royal Air Force Search and Rescue and East Anglian Air Ambulance, It is a cause close to the Prince of Wales' heart”

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In July, the Prince and Princess expressed their shock over the incident, writing on social media. As a parent, I cannot imagine the feelings of the families, friends and loved ones of those killed and injured in Southport today.”

Thursday will be the Princess of Wales' first public appearance since attending the Wimbledon men's final with Princess Charlotte and her sister Pippa Middleton in July; on September 9, the royal couple announced that Kate had completed her chemotherapy treatments and was “returning to work in the coming months and looking forward to a few more public appearances . and look forward to returning to work and a few more public appearances in the coming months.”