The King will today visit the grieving town of Southport to express his concern for those affected by the horrific killing last month of three young girls and the subsequent riots that rocked their community.
He will also meet privately with those who have direct experience of the terrible events of July 29, including some of the surviving children who were present at the Taylor Swift-themed dance and bracelet making summer holiday camp at the Hart Space Community Centre, along with their families. Some of them will have been among the injured.
His Majesty has already expressed his shock and sympathy at the events, and has been keen to make a personal visit for some time.
But he wanted to wait until those affected were ready for a royal visit and there was less strain on emergency services in the region.
Charles, 75, who is still undergoing cancer treatement, will fly down from Scotland where he is spending the summer.
After his private meeting with the children and their families he will then meet members of the Southport community outside the Town Hall.
Afterwards he will go to the nearby Southport Community Fire Station where he will met representatives from Merseyside’s emergency services and local community groups.
He will be met by regional leaders including the Mayors of the Liverpool City Region and Sefton, Steve Rotheram and Councillor Jane Burns, Sefton MP Patrick Hurley and Sefton Council leader, Marion Atkinson.
Inside the station he will hear from staff representing Merseyside’s Police, Fire and Rescue and Ambulance services about the roles responding to recent events and protecting people in the area.
He will also meet local groups impacted by the violent disorder in Southport, including faith leaders.
More than 50 police officers were injured as up to 1,000 people gathered outside a mosque after misinformation was spread online over the identity of the suspect in the killings.
More than 1,000 arrests were made nationally as the disorder spread and more than half of those charged.
Earlier this month it was revealed that the King had asked for ‘daily updates’ on the riots sparked by the Southport atrocity and could visit affected communities in the future on government advice.
It was understood that he was keen to be kept updated on the rapidly evolving situation.
He was also said to be engaging ‘privately’ around the issues that the shocking national unrest and violence had generated.
Buckingham Palace declined to go into detail of what form that engagement is taking.
But sources stressed that that His Majesty has spent much of his life, both as King and as Prince of Wales, working to encourage community cohesion and interfaith dialogue.
It came amid calls by some for the Royal Family to take a lead amid the national crisis.
However others pointed out that the King must be seen to be impartial, particularly given the vitriolic and hugely divisive level of political discourse around the rioting.
Queen Elizabeth, notably, did not intervene by issuing any public message during the equally explosive summer 2011 riots, sparked by the killing of Mark Duggan by the Metropolitan Police.
She would also have refrained from speaking publicly around the issue on official advice.
Sources stressed that His Majesty was acutely conscious any immediate reaction to the trouble should by led by the Government.
He issued a public message in the aftermath of the tragic attacks.
But given the security requirements around a royal visit – and with policing stretched to the limit in affected areas – it would only happen at a time when it did not place any additional burden on frontline emergency services or risk inflaming the situation on the ground while the country was still such a tinderbox.
Axel Rudakubana, 18, from Banks, Lancashire, will stand trial next year after being charged with three counts of murder, 10 counts of attempted murder and possession of a bladed article in a public place.