William And Kate Meet Riot Victims' Families

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have been visiting Birmingham at the end of three days of royal trips to riot-affected areas across England.

Their two-stop visit began in Winson Green where, on August 10, three young Asian men were killed as they attempted to protect businesses from looters.

St James' Palace said the visit has been several days in the planning as the couple, who were shocked by what they saw, were keen to see for themselves the impact of the rioting.

Arriving at the Summerfield Community Centre, in the heart of Winson Green, William and Kate met local residents and business owners affected by the riots.

In a private meeting the couple, who from their Anglesey home watched the disorder unfold on television, paid their respects to the families of Haroon Jahan, Shazad Ali and Abdul Musavir, the three men who lost their lives.

The Duke and Duchess spent 15 minutes speaking to the bereaved families about their loss.

Mandy Sankey, nurse manager at Birmingham Children's Hospital, spoke to the royal couple during their visit to the facility.

She told reporters: "William said, 'We're sure you have already heard how grateful we are but we wanted to come here to say thank you in person.'

"They seemed genuinely interested in how we dealt with it."

More than 20,000 mourners gathered in Summerfield Park on Thursday at the funeral service for the three men.

Among them was Tariq Jahan, the father of Haroon Jahan, who thanked everyone for coming and asked for the men he called "shaheeds" (martyrs) to never be forgotten.

In the hours following the death of his son, Tariq Jahan made an impassioned plea for peace and calm, as anger over the deaths threatened to encroach on retribution.

It is thought his words averted a second night of violence, bringing praise from the Prime Minister David Cameron.

William and Kate also visited a Birmingham business which suffered under a night of heavy rioting.

On Thursday, Prince Harry visited emergency services who tackled rioting in Manchester.

The Prince of Wales, visiting areas of London affected by the disorder on Wednesday, said joining the rioting gangs was a "cry for help" for some.