Prince Harry has worn his tuxedo more times in the past month than in the three years prior. Harry stepped out on Thursday evening for the United for Freedom gala at the Imperial War Museum in London. It was a fundraiser for Ukraine, and Harry gave some kind of address at the gala. Interestingly, I don’t think anyone in the media had any idea that Harry was scheduled to attend, much less speak. Harry has been very dedicated to Ukraine since the country was invaded by Russia in 2022. Harry has made multiple visits in recent years, including an incredibly dangerous multi-day visit to Kyiv one year ago, and as well a big security conference in the country earlier this year.
Prince Harry made a surprise outing in support of Ukraine. The Duke of Sussex, 42, stepped out at the United for Freedom gala at the Imperial War Museum in London on Oct. 1. The fundraising event was held to benefit charities supporting Ukraine amid the ongoing conflict in the country. Harry smiled and gave a wave to cameras as he headed inside the event, dressed for the occasion in a black bow tie and tuxedo.
Prince Harry also gave a speech at the event, in which he retraced the history connecting Britain and Ukraine before sharing some of his own experiences from recent visits to the nation.
“I have seen something in Ukraine that makes it impossible for me to look away. I have met people who have lost limbs, lost homes and lost loved ones — and yet somehow find the strength to rebuild,” he said. “I have spent time with members of the Ukrainian Invictus community: men and women who served their country and suffered life-changing injuries, but who continue to compete, to lead, to laugh and to look forward.”
Elsewhere in the speech, the Duke of Sussex said, “What has stayed with me most is that resilience in Ukraine does not belong to any one group. It belongs to the whole country. To those defending the front line. To those treating the wounded. To those keeping businesses, schools and communities going. To those developing technology that is changing the nature of modern warfare. And to those rebuilding today what was destroyed yesterday, knowing it could be struck again tomorrow. That is national resilience in its truest form.”
“But their resilience should never become an excuse for the rest of us to tolerate their suffering. Ukrainians should not have to prove, year after year, just how much they can endure,” he continued. “Their courage deserves more than our admiration. It deserves our resolve.”
He’s right and he could go even further in praise of Ukrainians’ spirit, guts and resolve. I’m not sure anyone thought that four-and-a-half years later, Ukrainians would still be fighting for their survival on a daily basis. I certainly believed that the international community would (at the very least) figure out a way to stop Russia’s bombing campaign and drone strikes. For Harry in particular, I think he was moved (as was I) by Ukrainians’ affection for him personally. Whenever he visits Ukraine, he gets mobbed like a celebrity. People ask him for photos. They bring their copies of Spare for him to sign. They give him gifts to take home to Meghan. They see him as a friend, an ally and someone who can speak to the world about what’s happening to them.
Photos courtesy of Getty Images.
What a king he would’ve made!
Yes, he’s a good man, and that was a powerful speech.
From aljazeera
“ Around 2,000 civilians, including 47 children, remain trapped in Russian-occupied Oleshky in southern Ukraine, where residents are running out of food and medicine and evacuation is effectively impossible.”
Really heartbreaking situations in Ukraine. I don’t understand why Russia is doing this.
It is my belief the why is because of the sin that all other sins seem to evolve from: GREED
Putin is dedicated to the task of recreating the old Soviet Union, calling it “greater Russia”. The cost to every day Russians has been just as high as to Ukrainians. But, unless they want to be thrown out of a window, they can’t speak up about the need to end this madness. To be clear, Trump has prolonged the war, not ended it, as he pledged. The war could end immediately if Putin just withdrew his forces.
Harry cares about people and humanity as a whole. So does Meghan and to me that’s one of the reasons I support and respect them.
Prince Harry demonstrates exactly how you should use your platform. Bring global attention to countries, individuals or events that need assistance and a global platform to get their message across. I applaud him.
This right here is Diana’s legacy. She would be so proud of Harry. He has the same compassionate eyes and heart. You can see it shining through him.
Watching him grow up, it was impossible to imagine all the twists and turns his life would take.
He has that rare combination of emotional intelligence and the sort of intelligence it takes to learn how to fly an Apache heli. (The latter is definitely way beyond me! I drive to the grocery store and that’s pretty much it. Nobody is even shooting at me!)
While the Other Brother has velvet slippers with airplanes on them.
William can do things too. He just leaped over a barbed wire fence with only two stepstools and the barbed wire covered with green tape. You could compare that to Harry’s obstacle course video and see who’s the best.
Not a surprise. Media outlets were aware that Harry would be attending well in advance.
Good for him for both attending and for what he said. KP has to be in panic mode, right? the bots are out more than ever before.
He’s such a natural at this. Great speech, smart to go stealth in the current ‘gotcha’ environment.
@Beth, a surprise only to People Mag, but not to you?
It seems he really missed his life in England and couldn’t find his place in California.
He’s not doing anything different in the UK than what he was doing in the US.
Maybe he just missed the country. Some people feel very unmoored when they move to a new place. I’ve always lived in the US but moved from the Northeast to Texas when I was in my 20s. Even though I raised my kids here and feel at home in many ways, it’s not quite the same. Every time I go back East for a visit, coming home is like re-entering the atmosphere. I remember once reading Jumpa Lahiri’s novel “The Namesake” on the flight and weeping. That feeling of always being suspended in mid-air, of not being rooted, and part of you being lost, is very real.
September 23, 2026 he spoke about AI and conservation in …. New York, USA. He doesn’t necessarily need to live where he can do his work and do it well. His kind of work can fall under “have purpose, will travel”
think at some point he will state that he was determined that his children not only visited Britain but felt they belonged there, it was home, and they felt connected to their cultural heritage, but also, that it is their birthright. And most importantly – he wasn’t going to let his family deprive them of that. And let’s be honest, the titles, birthright and noble heritage do matter to Harry because we have seen his spox say that the Sussex title and the Prince/ess titles for his kids are their birthright and it’s not up for debate. He’s not out here trying to be normal and get away from his royalness, he’s leaning into it but doing it the way that feels right to him, in spite of his family.
Maybe it was a surprise to People Magazine but it was known that Harry was going to be at this event. Even Richard Eden wrote about it.
I read it in some article that posted his event schedule for the month so it wasn’t a secret it was published in a few articles because I thought it was not very safe to publish his itinerary when he has unarmed security.
He looks wonderful. Team Ginger forever! I do wish Meghan went. We’ve been inundated with Kate and her “fashion,” it would have been a treat for the eyes to see a woman who actually knows how to wear fashion in a modern, put together way as opposed to the fashion wearing Kate in all its fussy non glory.
The Ukrainian team was a significant part of the IG in the Hague (2022) and their story is one of those in Heart of Invictus. This included Taira, a paramedic and team member who was abducted by the Russians, and very possibly released due to publicity generated by her daughter, who attended the games in her stead. The war had started only a few months before. The deep connection Harry has with Ukraine, and vice versa, likely stems from this time together.
Good on Harry for consistently talking about Ukraine. And as ever, fuck Putin.
Slava Ukraini!
Harry is a good egg. And just so, so good at this stuff. His passion is real.
Good. We need more voices speaking up about what’s happening in Ukraine because it’s easy to get drowned out. A perfect example of using your name and your influence for good.
I’m sure we’ll get a huffy piece from “sources” in KP about how William is mad that Harry gets applauded for speaking out, but as the future king, he can never get “political” blah blah blah. Someone will have to organize another visit to a training base where William can play soldier for the afternoon to appease him.