Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, traveled to Ukraine this weekend, and the photos were released on Monday. Sophie became the first British royal to travel to Ukraine since Russia invaded more than two years ago. Prince William visited Poland in March 2023, where he highlighted the work of British and Polish troops aiding Ukraine, and he also visited some of the Ukrainian refugees in Poland. He was empty-handed for that visit. It seems like Sophie was empty-handed as well, but I’ll say this – her visit had much more significance because she was actually in-country. The purpose of the visit was to show that Ukraine is still standing, despite all of the atrocities committed by Russian troops.
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.
There were limited photos from Sophie’s trip, and I assume that was all coordinated between the palace and President Zelenskyy’s office. The photos issued were of Sophie and First Lady Olena Zelenska visiting Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. That’s probably for the best – it would have looked (or just been) exploitive if Sophie brought a photographer as she was touring Bucha or meeting with survivors. Just a reminder: Kensington Palace was really trying to make the Russia-Ukraine war into one of Prince William and Kate’s big issues, and Kate has met First Lady Olena Zelenska several times in the past two years. I would say that Sophie is stepping on someone’s toes, but probably not – none of the other royals wanted to actually travel to a war zone.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.