Kate Middleton and Prince William are sending out their condolences to families who lost their children in Southport killings.

The Prince and Princess of Wales, who paid a surprise visit to see the bereaved parents, showed clear signs of tension at the instant.

Body language expert Judi James said: “There were initially some clear signs of understandable tension from both William and Kate today and some photos will have shown her facial expression looking intensely sad. But the expressions were prompted by empathy as she and William listened to stories from bereaved parents.

“Kate and William allowed their body language signals to be led by the people they were meeting. As some parents spoke they sat wearing expressions of sympathy and concern but when the chats became more relaxed and some smiles broke out, Kate followed suit, with a return of the dazzling, pitch-perfect smile she has always been known for,” the expert continued.

She noted: “The way she followed the body language lead showed she was keen to not make the visit about herself, but about the people and the victims she was talking to and about. It was a careful and thoughtful display on how to keep the spotlight pointed in the right direction.”