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Princess Anne Makes Secret Kyiv Visit to Honor Child Victims and Meet Zelensky

Requested by the UK Foreign Office, the visit underscored support for Ukraine through a humanitarian focus on children.

Overview

  • The Princess Royal traveled to Kyiv on September 30 at the request of the UK Foreign Office in a visit kept secret for security reasons.
  • She and First Lady Olena Zelenska left soft toys at the Children's Memorial, with Anne noting the teddy matched one owned by her daughter, as the site commemorates more than 650 children killed since 2022.
  • Anne met President Volodymyr Zelensky to discuss UK support and handed him a sealed envelope bearing a royal crest, which reporting described as likely a personal letter from the King.
  • Her itinerary included St Sophia's Cathedral, a Child Rights Protection Centre assisting returned children, and meetings with female police and service members protecting women and children.
  • She visited a rehabilitation center and the Kherson Cultural Exhibition backed by the UK-led PFRU, with the trip occurring two days after a heavy air assault on Kyiv and against reports of 19,500 children forcibly taken to Russia or occupied areas.