on monday, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, She made a surprise trip to Ukraine, where she continued her work to raise awareness of wartime sexual violence. The duchess traveled at the request of the UK Foreign, Development and Commonwealth Office, which has supported previous work on the issue.
During the trip she met the president Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, Olena Zelenska They then went to St. Andrew's Church in Bucha to light a candle in memory of the victims of the war.At a dinner party hosted by martin harris As British ambassador to Ukraine, she met survivors of sexual violence and children forcibly separated from their parents in the early years of the war.
According to the BBC, she said during the event that “women and girls pay the highest price in terms of human costs” and that “rape is used to humiliate, degrade and destroy.” Ta.
Buckingham Palace said in a statement that the visit was aimed at “showing solidarity with women, men and children affected by war and continuing our work to champion survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.” Announced. The palace added that it had also conveyed a message from Lady Sophie. king charles iii During a meeting with Mr. Zelensky.
An event in 2018 inspired Sophie to get involved in advocacy on this topic. Angelina Jolie The actor supports the “Initiative to Prevent Sexual Violence in Conflict'', an organization he founded with the former British Foreign Secretary. william haig Raising awareness and combating the stigma associated with wartime sexual violence. In March 2019, Sophie began working with the United Nations on this issue through the Women, Peace and Security Agenda. Since then, she has traveled to countries such as Kosovo, South Sudan and Afghanistan, meeting with her survivors and fellow supporters.
With this visit, Royal Sophie became the first member of the royal family to visit Ukraine since the war began in February 2022. The royal family has been a strong supporter of Ukraine over the years since the Russian invasion, and has welcomed President Zelenskiy to the palace multiple times. In March 2023, prince william The royal family visited Poland, their first visit to the region, and spoke to Ukrainian refugees fleeing fighting in their home country.
