Prince Harry paid a surprise visit to war-torn Ukraine on Thursday, where he met with injured civilians and military personnel at the Superhumans Center in Lviv. The clinic specializes in prosthetics, reconstructive surgery, and psychological rehabilitation—all provided free of charge.
Images released later in the evening showed the Duke of Sussex smiling broadly while posing with wounded soldiers. In one poignant moment, Harry was photographed wearing a serious expression as he engaged in a heartfelt conversation with a visibly injured child.
The visit, coordinated with the Invictus Games Foundation , was kept under wraps until Harry had departed the region. He was accompanied by a group from the foundation, including four veterans who had undergone similar rehabilitation journeys. During the tour, they met with medical staff, patients, and surgical teams to observe the services being provided and share experiences.
Harry also met with Ukraine's Minister of Veterans Affairs, Natalia Kalmykova, and reconnected with Yulia (Taira) Paievska, a member of Team Ukraine and an Invictus Games competitor. His presence was in response to an invitation extended a year ago by Olga Rudneva, the CEO of the Superhumans Center, and renewed again during the Invictus Games in February.
This humanitarian trip came shortly after the Duke spent two days in London's High Court, appealing the UK government's decision to remove his publicly funded security. He contended that he had been "singled out" for "inferior treatment" following the 2020 ruling that downgraded his protection after stepping back from royal duties.
Representing the Home Office, Sir James Eadie KC defended the decision, stating, "RMB risk analysis is the usual approach in usual cases. But there is nothing about the appellant's [Prince Harry's] announcement in January 2020 that he was to step back from his role in the Royal family, and spend most of the time abroad, that was usual."
Harry's legal team, led by Shaheed Fatima KC, argued that the government had not adhered to its own protocols and had failed to secure a proper security assessment through the Risk Management Board (RMB).
The Duke of Sussex, who served two combat tours in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter co-pilot gunner, has long championed the cause of wounded veterans. In 2014, he launched the Invictus Games, offering injured service members an international platform to compete in athletic events.
His advocacy work continues, even as he navigates personal legal battles. The case challenging the Home Office's decision has so far cost British taxpayers around £500,000.
Harry, who now resides in California with Meghan Markle and their children Archie and Lilibet, made the 5,000-mile trip to London for the hearing before heading to Ukraine.
He is now the second royal to visit Ukraine since the onset of the Russian invasion in 2022. His aunt, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, visited Kyiv last year, marking the first such visit by a member of the royal family. Prince William also recently met Ukrainian refugees during a visit to Estonia.
The royal family has remained vocally supportive of Ukraine, with King Charles recently hosting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his North Sea estate, a symbolic gesture of solidarity that followed a tense diplomatic moment involving US President Donald Trump.
Images released later in the evening showed the Duke of Sussex smiling broadly while posing with wounded soldiers. In one poignant moment, Harry was photographed wearing a serious expression as he engaged in a heartfelt conversation with a visibly injured child.
The visit, coordinated with the Invictus Games Foundation , was kept under wraps until Harry had departed the region. He was accompanied by a group from the foundation, including four veterans who had undergone similar rehabilitation journeys. During the tour, they met with medical staff, patients, and surgical teams to observe the services being provided and share experiences.
Harry also met with Ukraine's Minister of Veterans Affairs, Natalia Kalmykova, and reconnected with Yulia (Taira) Paievska, a member of Team Ukraine and an Invictus Games competitor. His presence was in response to an invitation extended a year ago by Olga Rudneva, the CEO of the Superhumans Center, and renewed again during the Invictus Games in February.
This humanitarian trip came shortly after the Duke spent two days in London's High Court, appealing the UK government's decision to remove his publicly funded security. He contended that he had been "singled out" for "inferior treatment" following the 2020 ruling that downgraded his protection after stepping back from royal duties.
Representing the Home Office, Sir James Eadie KC defended the decision, stating, "RMB risk analysis is the usual approach in usual cases. But there is nothing about the appellant's [Prince Harry's] announcement in January 2020 that he was to step back from his role in the Royal family, and spend most of the time abroad, that was usual."
Harry's legal team, led by Shaheed Fatima KC, argued that the government had not adhered to its own protocols and had failed to secure a proper security assessment through the Risk Management Board (RMB).
The Duke of Sussex, who served two combat tours in Afghanistan as an Apache helicopter co-pilot gunner, has long championed the cause of wounded veterans. In 2014, he launched the Invictus Games, offering injured service members an international platform to compete in athletic events.
His advocacy work continues, even as he navigates personal legal battles. The case challenging the Home Office's decision has so far cost British taxpayers around £500,000.
Harry, who now resides in California with Meghan Markle and their children Archie and Lilibet, made the 5,000-mile trip to London for the hearing before heading to Ukraine.
He is now the second royal to visit Ukraine since the onset of the Russian invasion in 2022. His aunt, Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, visited Kyiv last year, marking the first such visit by a member of the royal family. Prince William also recently met Ukrainian refugees during a visit to Estonia.
The royal family has remained vocally supportive of Ukraine, with King Charles recently hosting President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at his North Sea estate, a symbolic gesture of solidarity that followed a tense diplomatic moment involving US President Donald Trump.
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