Duchess of Edinburgh becomes first royal to visit Ukraine since Russia’s invasion

The Duchess of Edinburgh has become the first member of the Royal family to visit Ukraine since Russia invaded more than two years ago.

The mother of two, 59, travelled to the country on Monday to “show her solidarity” with the men, women and children affected by war.

She met Volodymyr Zelensky and Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s president and first lady, delivering a message on behalf of the King.

The trio discussed how best to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and the women peacebuilders who are working to ensure Ukraine’s recovery.

The Duchess later met survivors of sexual violence, displaced women and volunteers who are helping their communities cope with the trauma of the invasion by providing mental health care activities for children.

Two years on from the liberation of Bucha, a town just outside Kyiv that was occupied by Russian troops for 33 days in a failed attempt to seize the capital, she paid her respects to those who lost their lives.

When Ukrainian soldiers took back control of the region, their discoveries shocked the world: evidence of executions, rapes and torture, with the bodies of civilians still laying where they had fallen.

The Duchess also visited the Romanivka bridge, known as the “Road to Life” bridge, that became a symbol of the Ukrainian resistance when it was blown up to stop Russian troops proceeding to Kyiv and later became a vital route for people to flee to safety from the occupation.

The Duchess’s one-day visit marked the latest royal show of support for Ukraine, which has been led by the King.

In February, the King issued a strongly worded message to mark the second anniversary of the conflict, speaking of the “indescribable aggression” that has faced Ukrainians since what he called the “unprovoked attack on their land”.

Last March, the Prince of Wales travelled to Poland on a “personal mission” to praise British troops working near the Ukraine border for “defending our freedoms”.

Meanwhile, in February, the Queen welcomed Ms Zelenska to Clarence House for a meeting during which they discussed the bravery and resilience of Ukrainians and the UK’s determination to support the nation.

During the King’s first state visit to France last September, he used an historic speech at the senate to highlight the “unprovoked aggression” on our continent and the “resolute solidarity” in which both the UK and France stood with Ukraine.

And during a visit to Germany six months earlier, he praised both nations for their joint efforts to provide “very welcome and very important” military support for Ukraine now that the “scourge of war” had returned to Europe.

The King has also visited Ukrainian military recruits undergoing training in Wiltshire.

The Duchess’s visit formed part of her work as a champion of the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

Last month, she addressed the Restoration of the Conflict-Related Sexual Violence Survivors’ Rights Conference in Ukraine via video message.

“We must stand shoulder to shoulder with all survivors to secure justice and holistic redress, and ensure that this crime isn’t an accepted part of conflict,” the Duchess said.

“Their rights and their voices must be at the heart of all our efforts to consign conflict-related sexual violence to the history books.”

The Duchess later said she would take the stories she had heard home in her heart.

Speaking at an evening reception at the residence of Martin Harris, the UK ambassador to Ukraine, she also thanked the survivors she had met for their honesty.

She said she had travelled to many countries in conflict or post-conflict, where “women and girls pay the highest price in terms of human costs”.

The Duchess added: “Rape is used to demean, to degrade and to destroy. And we have to get better at trying to prevent that from happening. Where we cannot prevent it from happening. What we must do is put measures in place to support those who have fallen victim to such crimes.”

Sophie said if the survivors she had met: “Their stories are sad. I hear many stories like this, sadly, from around the world. But I appreciate their time and their openness.”

The Duchess added that she had met people who “played a large role in Bucha and Irpin” to help their communities, and that she would “take those stories home in my heart”.

Duchess dedicated to fighting sexual violence in conflict

The Duchess announced her commitment to championing the UK’s Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative and the UN’s Women, Peace and Security Agenda on International Women’s Day in 2019.

She has visited several countries over the years to highlight the impact of historical and ongoing conflict, including Kosovo, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Colombia, and has heard first-hand testimonies from survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

The UK has pledged more than £4.7 billion in non-military support to Ukraine since 2022, including over £660 million of bilateral assistance that prioritises the needs of women and girls.

The Government is also working with international partners to hold those responsible for atrocities to account.

In addition to providing financial and technical assistance to the International Criminal Court, specialist UK war crimes and conflict-related sexual violence experts have been deployed to the region, creating an expert Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group with the EU and US.