Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, traveled to Ukraine this weekend, and the photos were released on Monday. Sophie became the first British royal to travel to Ukraine since Russia invaded more than two years ago. Prince William visited Poland in March 2023, where he highlighted the work of British and Polish troops aiding Ukraine, and he also visited some of the Ukrainian refugees in Poland. He was empty-handed for that visit. It seems like Sophie was empty-handed as well, but I’ll say this – her visit had much more significance because she was actually in-country. The purpose of the visit was to show that Ukraine is still standing, despite all of the atrocities committed by Russian troops.
The Duchess of Edinburgh has become the first member of the Royal family to visit Ukraine since Russia invaded more than two years ago. The mother of two, 59, travelled to the country on Monday to “show her solidarity” with the men, women and children affected by war. She met Volodymyr Zelensky and Olena Zelenska, Ukraine’s president and first lady, delivering a message on behalf of the King.
The trio discussed how best to support survivors of conflict-related sexual violence and the women peacebuilders who are working to ensure Ukraine’s recovery. The Duchess later met survivors of sexual violence, displaced women and volunteers who are helping their communities cope with the trauma of the invasion by providing mental health care activities for children.
Two years on from the liberation of Bucha, a town just outside Kyiv that was occupied by Russian troops for 33 days in a failed attempt to seize the capital, she paid her respects to those who lost their lives. When Ukrainian soldiers took back control of the region, their discoveries shocked the world: evidence of executions, rapes and torture, with the bodies of civilians still laying where they had fallen.
The Duchess also visited the Romanivka bridge, known as the “Road to Life” bridge, that became a symbol of the Ukrainian resistance when it was blown up to stop Russian troops proceeding to Kyiv and later became a vital route for people to flee to safety from the occupation.
There were limited photos from Sophie’s trip, and I assume that was all coordinated between the palace and President Zelenskyy’s office. The photos issued were of Sophie and First Lady Olena Zelenska visiting Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv. That’s probably for the best – it would have looked (or just been) exploitive if Sophie brought a photographer as she was touring Bucha or meeting with survivors. Just a reminder: Kensington Palace was really trying to make the Russia-Ukraine war into one of Prince William and Kate’s big issues, and Kate has met First Lady Olena Zelenska several times in the past two years. I would say that Sophie is stepping on someone’s toes, but probably not – none of the other royals wanted to actually travel to a war zone.
Photos courtesy of Cover Images.
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- The Duchess of Edinburgh visits the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv during a visit to Ukraine to to demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children impacted by the war, as part of Sophie’s work to champion survivors of conflict related sexual violence. Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: Ukraine When: 28 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duchess of Edinburgh signs the guest book at the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv during a visit to Ukraine to to demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children impacted by the war, as part of Sophie’s work to champion survivors of conflict related sexual violence. Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh Where: Kyiv, Ukraine When: 28 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duchess of Edinburgh (right) with the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska at the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv during a visit to Ukraine to demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children impacted by the war, as part of Sophie’s work to champion survivors of conflict related sexual violence. Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Olena Zelenska Where: Kyiv, Ukraine When: 28 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duchess of Edinburgh (left) with the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska at the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv during a visit to Ukraine to demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children impacted by the war, as part of Sophie’s work to champion survivors of conflict related sexual violence. Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Olena Zelenska Where: Kyiv, Ukraine When: 28 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
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- The Duchess of Edinburgh (left) with the First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska (right) at the Saint Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv during a visit to Ukraine to demonstrate solidarity with the women, men and children impacted by the war, as part of Sophie’s work to champion survivors of conflict related sexual violence. Featuring: Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, Olena Zelenska Where: Kyiv, Ukraine When: 28 Apr 2024 Credit: PA Images/INSTARimages **NORTH AMERICA RIGHTS ONLY**
Good for Sophie! I guess we know who the real global statesman is. Bonus for Ukraine that she didn’t gawp and preen, and slide down a slide. Given how some of the British royals have been fully compromised by Russian interests, it’s important to show the royal family is officially on the side of Ukrainians.
On a petty note, I liked her floral top a lot better when I thought it was just a jacket. That is a whole lot of print in what looks to be a fussy dress.
The floral print is from traditional Ukrainian scarves. So she’s doing diplomatic dressing 🙂
Good to know.
Interesting! Although I agree, it’s a lot for a dress. And I see she’s wearing flats, good for her. Now what I really want to know is–is Billy Boy flipping his lid at this? Or did somebody realize you just can’t send the guy anywhere any more?
And on a completely different note, that cathedral is magnificent! I googled a bit after seeing these photos.
I assumed there was some kind of link, if anyone has more insight into her dress I’d love to read it.
Shame about the shoe choice but otherwise I appreciate her effort. Particularly given the nature of her visits the black background feels suitably somber but the flowers bring colour and life.
Sohpie was sent because they aren’t going to send the heir into an active war zone. That job is reserved for Spares.
The dress is from Etro, an Italian brand and retails for $1310.
My first thought was…what in the scroll down fug ((h/t to the Fug Girls)?
I like the dress and jewelry but the shoes are jarring with that dress. Black or dark crimson would have been so much better.
Credit where credit is due. Traveling to Ukraine during the war comes with substantial risks no matter how well they try to secure it, especially considering Russia is currently shelling or bombing cities all across Ukraine. The work she’s putting in is far more substantive than whatever the Keens deign to crawl out of their boltholes and do.
Agreed.
Well done and very necessary.
💯 agree. Also, she looks calm and dignified, not manic grinning and waving her hands about like someone we know who has no sense of occasion – ahem.
Good for her for showing up! I am legit suprised but also grateful. She should have come with something….anything….I am sure the royals could afford food/medical supplies to donate. But given that the bar is in hell, I will take this visit with gratitude. Anyone who can bring attention to their plight gets a gold star from me. Should it be more? Yes. Should it be more often? Yes. But Sophie had the stones to visit which is more than we can say for most people *ahem-Global Statesman-ahem*
Good for Sophie, apparently it is known that she can be trusted to represent the UK where it seems others are not so trusted. Others who are planning to be a WFH king.
This is yet another punch in the gut to Catherine, she should have been the one going there.
If Kate were well and willing to go, it could have been a successful visit. Although Sophie is not doing open-mouth poses or anything overly attention-grabbing from what I can tell. I’m not sure Kate would have been able to resist.
At least Sophie can get out of a car without flashing everyone.
I have my doubts that Kate would have gone. She’s the future Queen, Sophie’s not.
I can’t see Kate going even with no health issues. 1 Mumbles, 2 Flasher, 3 Future Queen.
I think Kate is too much of a lightweight for this kind of visit. She’d end up annoying them
I’m echoing everyone else’s “good for Sophie”! Seriously.
*whispers* I hate her shoes.
How do you see the shoes with that loud dress? JK, I agree about the shoes. She should stick to a simple formula. Solid colors, limit ruffles, buttons and bows.
Those shoes are beyond fug. I was scrolling the dress trying to decide if I like it or not, and along came those shoes. It used to drive me nuts that the Queen only ever wore one pair of shoes, but even they weren’t as bad as what Sophie has on her feet.
Oh, I noticed those, too! How can you not?? I wondered if they would have been better in black; maybe marginally.
Yes good for Sophie visiting a war zone. That said I really wonder about her clothes choices. That dress and those shoes are well just awful.
I actually like the dress, especially the skirt where the print is a bit more spaced out. this looks like traditional Ukrainian scarf prints so it makes sense on that level too.
and as everyone is saying, good for her for actually doing something!
I may have to change my opinion of her. Props for her gutsy actions.
I saw this last night on social media. Royal fans, who should rightfully be celebrating that Sophie went and drew attention to Ukraine, made it about Harry and Megan.
The level of derangement is just WILD. If you like the royals, take a win and celebrate it!
If going to a war zone is going to boost her image and get her attention, I guess it’s worth it.
Good on Sophie. 100 points to House Edinburgh!
😂
That dress is not flattering but it makes sense for a diplomatic visit to Ukraine.
What is with these leftover royals and their shoe choices?
This is an important visit and I think it was wise for her to make an in person visit to Ukraine. That dress is distracting and so are the shoes. Simpler would have been better.
Good job, Sophie!
Good move by Sophie and ITA with others who are saying this is the kind of trip the future king and / or his wife should be making but they won’t. Sophie seemed to look and behave to match the event – she didn’t gurn at random people / things just to look like she’s engaged with the event for the photog’s.
Its interesting that the Edinburgh’s profile seems to be rising – is Chuck preparing for something to break with the Wails??
Good for Sophie to travel to the Ukraine showing support for Ukraine. Just pity that she does not get the recognition in the British media for her work. Only the Telegraph had a photo of Sophie on the front page. DF had a photo of Meghan with the headline “Meghan WON’T join Harry in UK but will visit Nigeria”. The news programs dutifully mentioned Sophie’s trip to Ukraine but that’s it. GMB news this morning mentioned all the royal events today including Sophie’s trip to Ukraine but at the end of the program they had a discussion about if Britain was welcoming towards Meghan because she was not joining Harry on his trip to the UK next week. Why can the British media not focus on important work done by the royals left working instead of going after Harry and Meghan?
The Times is also reporting, which you can’t get any poshier.
https://archive.ph/idSlS
S.Briona thank you for the article. However the Times did not mention this trip on their front page. As I said the only newspaper mentioning this trip on their front page was the Telegraph. I am not saying that it was not covered by the BM but if you compare the amount of coverage of Harry and Meghan by the British tabloid media, not necessarily by the Times, just for breathing it is pity that this worthwhile trip did not get the same kind of attention.
It could be my own twitter feed algorithm, but “The Duchess of Edinburgh” was trending.
Well played for Sophie. She’s met Mrs Zelenska in the UK. The tabs will probably concentrate on their bread and butter (e.g. Harry and Meghan hate).
Nope and a thousand times nope to the ensemble, especially the shoes.
If she had to dress in something to represent Ukraine, the outfit would have been quite cute as a jacket with a plain skirt and black shoes.
I do give her props for going though.
Maybe the shoes were chosen because she can actually Run in them if need be.
I refuse to criticize her for her wardrobe choices going into an active war zone. Miss Buttons she aint….thank the lord. The dress looks practical for what she’s doing. The busy pattern will hide creases and spots. It also covers all the necessary bits.
Good for Sophie for going!
Now for some sarcasm:
Sometimes I think Sophie’s wardrobe choices are purposely bad just to show her husband could not possibly be gay. I doubt a gay man would let her leave the house in some of her choices.
Sophie is considered a “safe pair of hands” whereas Kate appears to be rather incompetent. Kate has really tried to make it appear as though she and the first lady of Ukraine are working closely judging by the photo ops, but I don’t think anyone would trust Kate to be on a delicate diplomatic mission. Anyway, a scarf in that pattern would do. I notice all the other ladies are in suits and dark colours. Sophie makes herself the centre of attention with that dress, and her white shoes make her feet look simply gigantic. Black loafers instead or plain black flats would have been a nice choice.
I’ll add to the chorus of cheers for Sophie — anything for the Ukrainian cause… but her shoes, yikes. Darker flats would have been so much better.
Nice work. Do more of this.
I am not a fan of SDOE … but yeah, good for her, whatever.
There recently was a 96 year old woman who walked six miles alone to Ukrainian held territory. She was separated from her fleeing family and used her cain and a stick to walk. That woman was born in the mid-1920’s. That means she was born under Lenin, lived through Stalin, the Ukrainian famine, Stalin, and Hitler’s occupation. That elderly woman is a survivor and they r rarely make bad a$$ women like her. Good for Sophie doing the Ukrainian people the respect of coming and keeping it about the visit.