She left a poignant personal tribute at a memorial site

ollowing in the footsteps of her nephew, Prince Harry, Princess Anne has made a surprise visit to Ukraine.

The Princess Royal, 75, made the unexpected trip, which was not previously announced, at the request of the Foreign Office on September 30.

In Ukraine, she met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and visited a memorial for child victims of the Russian invasion.

Princess Anne visited Ukraine on September 30 (Credit: Cover Images)

Princess Anne makes poignant visit to Ukraine

Buckingham Palace said that Anne made the visit to Ukraine to highlight the “traumatic experiences of children living on the frontline of the conflict”.

During her meeting with President Zelenskyy, Princess Anne discussed the UK’s support for Ukraine and its ongoing resistance.

Following this, King Charles’ sister visited the Children’s Memorial in Kharkiv with First Lady Olena Zelenska, who opened the site. The memorial commemorates all the children who have died since the start of the conflict in 2022.

Here, the Princess Royal made a poignant personal gesture, laying a teddy bear in tribute.

That was one that my daughter had.

She reportedly told the First Lady: “That was one that my daughter had.”

Princess Anne also visited the Child Rights Protection Centre. The organisation supports young people affected by the war. It’s been estimated that at least 19,500 Ukrainian children have been deported or forcibly displaced from their homes to Russia and Russian-occupied areas of Ukraine.

During the visit, Princess Anne spoke to those working hard to return Ukrainian children to their families. She also heard from children themselves who had been reunited with their loved ones as a result of their work.

Her Royal Highness also paid a visit to a rehabilitation centre. She heard from veterans, who have returned from the frontline and those adjusting back to civilian life. Anne also observed a canine therapy session.

The Duke of Sussex visited Ukraine in September (Credit: Photo by Emmi Korhonen/Lehtikuva/Shutterstock)

Prince Harry made emotional visit to Ukraine

The visit comes just weeks after Princess Anne’s nephew, Prince Harry, made his own visit to Ukraine.

Following his trip to the UK for charitable engagements, the Duke of Sussex travelled to the capital city of Kyiv, in response to an invitation from Olga Rudnieva, founder and CEO of the Superhumans Trauma Centre.

Along with a team from his Invictus Games Foundation, he met with war-wounded veterans and paid his respects to victims of the conflict.

He also met with Ukraine’s Minister for Veterans Affairs, Natalia Kalmykova, to discuss ways in which the Invictus Games Foundation could support wounded soldiers.

Harry was clearly profoundly moved by the trip, in particular, a visit to a war memorial where he laid a wreath for those who had lost their lives in the war.

Looking visibly emotional, the Duke of Sussex called the memorial “the most insanely sad yet beautiful thing”. He added: “I’ve never experienced anything like that in my life.”