The sister of the King of the United Kingdom, Princess Anne, made an unannounced visit to Kyiv on Tuesday, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and First Lady Olena Zelenska to discuss support from the United Kingdom.

According to Interfax, the publication reported on Wednesday: “The King’s sister visited the capital, Kyiv, on Tuesday at the request of the Foreign Office to express solidarity with the children and families who have endured the horrors of the Russian invasion. The Princess met with Mr. Zelenskyy to discuss the United Kingdom’s support for Ukraine and its ongoing resistance.”

It is reported that Princess Anne’s secret visit, which had not been publicly announced for security reasons, took place just two days after a Russian airstrike in Kyiv killed at least four people, including a 12-year-old girl, and injured at least 70 others. Together with Olena Zelenska, Princess Anne paid tribute to the children who had died by leaving a toy bear at the memorial. Mrs. Zelenska also placed a bear as a mark of respect.

The bear with which Princess Anne honored the children who had died is special. It turned out that her daughter had the same toy bear. Princess Anne herself revealed this to Olena Zelenska as the two women placed the toys at the memorial together.

“It’s the same as the one my daughter had,” the Princess said to the First Lady of Ukraine.

Princess Anne also visited the Child Protection Center and spoke with families and veterans. At the Center, Princess Anne spoke with teenagers who had been kidnapped from their homes by Russian forces but were later returned to their families. She also expressed her gratitude to the center’s staff, who “work tirelessly” to reunite as many children as possible with their families.

She spoke with female police officers and service members who work to protect women and children in frontline regions. The royal visited a rehabilitation center where wounded veterans receive treatment, as well as those suffering from psychological trauma related to the war.

The Princess did not overlook the cultural aspect. She visited Saint Sophia’s Cathedral, where she learned about Kyiv’s historical heritage, and attended an exhibition of destroyed Russian military equipment near St. Michael’s Golden-Domed Monastery. Princess Anne also viewed the Kherson cultural exhibition dedicated to the city, which was liberated by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in November 2022.