Following in the footsteps of her nephew, Prince Harry, Princess Anne has carried out an unannounced trip to Ukraine.

At the request of the Foreign Office, the Princess Royal, 75, visited the country on September 30. Her schedule included a meeting with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a solemn stop at a memorial dedicated to children killed during the Russian invasion.

Highlighting the Impact on Children

Buckingham Palace confirmed that the purpose of Anne’s visit was to draw attention to the “traumatic experiences of children living on the frontline of the conflict.”

In her meeting with President Zelenskyy, she discussed the UK’s ongoing support for Ukraine and its fight against Russian aggression.

Later, accompanied by First Lady Olena Zelenska, the Princess visited the Children’s Memorial in Kharkiv, which honors all children who have died since the war began in 2022. In a touching gesture, she placed a teddy bear at the site and told the First Lady: “That was one that my daughter had.”

Supporting Displaced Children

Princess Anne also visited the Child Rights Protection Centre, which helps young people separated from their families by the war. Reports suggest that at least 19,500 Ukrainian children have been deported or forcibly relocated to Russia and Russian-occupied territories.