Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Is the First British Royal to Visit Ukraine Since the Russian Invasion

Today, Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh became the first member of the British royal family to visit Ukraine since the Russian invasion in February 2022. The royals have been vocal in their support for Ukraine since the conflict began—Prince William traveled to Poland to thank troops supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces, and Kate Middleton met with displaced Ukrainian families—but the Duchess of Edinburgh is the first to actually visit the country.

Per Buckingham Palace, the Duchess of Edinburgh "is visiting Ukraine at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, to demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children impacted by the war and in a continuation of her work to champion survivors of conflict-related sexual violence."

According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCO), the Duchess "met with survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and survivors of torture who bravely shared their stories, and with children who have now been safely returned to Ukraine, after being forcibly separated from their families and deported by Russia as part of a sustained campaign to erase Ukrainian culture."

Sophie also met President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska, and delivered a message to them on behalf of King Charles. The Ukrainian first lady was in the UK earlier this year, and during her visit, she met with Queen Camilla at Clarence House.

This is not the Duchess of Edinburgh's first time traveling to support survivors of sexual violence in conflict zones; in recent years, she has been to Kosovo, Sierra Leone, Colombia, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

During a speech she gave at the Conflict-Related Sexual Violence conference last month, Sophie said, "Survivors here and around the world have spoken out so bravely about their experiences. They are the most powerful advocates who remind us all that we must not turn our backs on the horrors of this crime, we must never forget survivors. Rather, 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. Their rights and their voices must be at the heart of all our efforts to consign conflict-related sexual violence to the history books."

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