William and Catherine visit Birmingham, England, in wake of riots

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Prince William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, paid a special visit to victims of recent riots in their home country on Friday.

The couple visited Birmingham in England’s county of West Midlands to see residents and business owners affected by the civil unrest that had spread there after starting Aug. 6 in London’s Tottenham neighborhood. With three men dead in Birmingham, shops looted and fires damaging personal property, the turn of royal duty was designed for comfort but not publicity; the couple’s visit wasn’t announced in advance.

Catherine looked sunny but respectful in white and navy with gold brass detail. William walked beside her through the town, occasionally guiding her by the small of her back, both accompanied by Paul Sabapathy, lord lieutenant of the West Midlands.

‘They were very concerned about what the families had gone through and how they were coping with such a tragedy,’ a police spokeswoman told People.

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-- Matt Donnelly
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