Kate Middleton has broken royal protocol to pay her respects to Sarah Everard, who was murdered and kidnapped by an accused London police officer while walking home.
WATCH BELOW: Kate Middleton attends vigil in honour of Sarah Everard.
The Duchess of Cambridge was filmed attending the vigil at London’s Clapham Common.
Kate lay a bouquet of daffodils at a shrine to Sarah and walked somberly through the emotional crowd with minimal security in a simple tan jacket and black pants.
Kensington Palace revealed that Kate decided to join the hundreds of mourners who gathered at Clapham Common so she could “Pay her respects to the family and to Sarah,” British newspaper The Independent reported.
Kensington Palace also noted, “She remembers what it was like to walk around London at night before she was married.”
Sarah Everard, 33, was reported missing on March 3rd after she was last seen walking home in Clapham, South West London.
Last week, Sarah’s body was found, and New Scotland Yard, Assistant Commissioner Nick Ephgrave publicised the announcement on TV to update the distressed and angry public about the police inquiry.
“As you know, on Wednesday evening detectives investigating the disappearance of Sarah Everard discovered a body secreted in woodland in Kent,” he said.
“The body has now been recovered and formal identification procedure has now been undertaken.”
Although the vigil Kate attended went on with no issues, it had been banned by the Metropolitan Police along with other memorials around the city because of Covid restrictions.
However, this didn’t stop people from attempting to pay their respects as socially distanced as possible.
Some vigils were met with violent clashes, according to The Guardian UK, who reported that officers were “manhandling women who were mourning.”
The distressing events have the public and other officials, including the Mayor of London, calling for the Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick to step down.
Sarah’s murder has brought to public consciousness essential conversations about the safety of women in London and all around the world.
This story sits close to home for Australians who remember the women who were victims of violence.
Jill Meagher, 29 in 2012, Eurydice Dixon, 22 in 2018, and Aiia Maasarwe, 21 in 2019, all lost their lives walking home at night.
Kate Middleton’s gesture was a necessary act that set aside royal protocol for an event that is sure to feel as personal to the Duchess as women worldwide.
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