Since the start of russia's full-scale aggression against Ukraine, the British Royal Family has regularly expressed solidarity with Ukrainians. Today, a member of the British monarchy visited Ukraine for the first time since the Great War. Find out how the visit went and what it was about

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Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, arrived in Ukraine and became the first member of the British royal family to visit the country since the start of russia's full-scale invasion. Here is the purpose of the visit.

"The Duchess of Edinburgh has become the first royal to visit Ukraine since the beginning of the war to express her solidarity with the men, women and children affected by the russian invasion," reads the official statement of the British Foreign Office on the occasion of the royal's arrival in Ukraine.

The purpose of the Duchess of Edinburgh's visit to Ukraine

According to the BBC, during the visit, Sophie met with victims of sexual violence and torture, as well as children who returned to Ukraine after being forcibly deported by russian troops.

The meetings were held within the framework of the British initiative "Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict" and the UN Women, Peace and Security programme, which are supported by the Duchess.

In Kyiv, the Duchess of Edinburgh met with President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his wife, and paid tribute to the victims of the attack in Bucha.

"During the visit, the Duchess of Edinburgh paid tribute to those killed in Bucha two years after its liberation from russian troops and visited the 'Road of Life', a bridge that became a key part of the Ukrainian resistance.

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The British royal family, which usually does not express its political preferences, has been extremely outspoken in its support for Ukraine: on the second anniversary of the russian invasion, King Charles spoke of russia's "unspeakable aggression" and its "unprovoked attack" on Ukraine.

It is worth noting that the British king's statement was called "unusual" by the local media, as British monarchs rarely speak out publicly about wars in the world.

Also, during his subsequent visits to France and Germany, the King spoke about the importance of supporting Ukraine in such a difficult time for it. By the way, the sympathy of his late mother Queen Elizabeth II for Ukraine and Ukrainians was highlighted when she appeared next to a large vase of flowers in Ukrainian national colours.

Today, an important signal was that before the Duchess of Edinburgh's unexpected visit, no member of the royal family had ever visited Ukraine during a full-scale war.

It is worth noting that the British monarchy expresses its solidarity with Ukraine amidst a difficult situation within the family. For example, earlier this year, it became known that King Charles had been diagnosed with cancer and was going to undergo therapy.

Later, Britain was completely enveloped in rumours about the royal family, as some of its members and the king himself did not appear in public for quite some time, leading to various discussions and loud headlines in the media.

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