King Charles and Queen Camilla are "utterly shocked and horrified" by the stabbing in Sydney

In a statement, the King said: "My wife and I were utterly shocked and horrified to hear of the tragic stabbing incident in Bondi.

"Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who have been so brutally killed during such a senseless attack.

"While details of these shocking circumstances are still emerging, our thoughts are also with those who were involved in the response, and we give thanks for the bravery of the first responders and emergency services

Meanwhile, the King's son Prince William, and his wife Catherine, Princess of Wales are also "shocked and saddened" by the events that unfolded and sent their "thoughts" to all those affected and thanked the emergency services.

In a joint statement posted to Instagram, they said: "We are shocked and saddened by the terrible events in Sydney earlier today. Our thoughts are with all those affected, including the loved ones of those lost and the heroic emergency responders who risked their own lives to save others."

The statement marked the first public statement from the royal couple since it was announced that Catherine, 42, is undergoing "preventative" chemotherapy for cancer.

Towards the end of March, she explained: "In January, I underwent major abdominal surgery in London. And at the time, it was thought that my condition was non-cancerous.

"The surgery was successful. However, tests after the operation on cancer had been present.

"This of course, came as a huge shock. And Wiliam and I have been doing everything we can to process and manage this privately for the sake of our young family.

"As you can imagine, this has taken time, it has taken me time to recover for major surgery in order to start my treatment."