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A day enveloping a four-day trip to the UK, it concludes with a much-anticipated reunion with his father, King Charles, after 19 months apart.
The 40-year-old Duke of Sussex arrived in Ukraine on Friday, September 12th, highlighting the recovery of injured veterans and leading a delegation from the Invictus Games Foundation in his role as founder and patronage. The visit came soon after an emotional week in the UK. There he spent time with his cause and personally reconnected with his father over tea at Clarence House.
On Kyiv, Harry urged injured service members to lean on those closest to them as they navigate their post-combat life.
“You’ll feel like you’re lost at times, like there’s a lack of purpose, but then you don’t care, there’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” he said during the panel discussion. “You need to look for it because there’s always someone to come to you, either a mother, father, sibling, friend, or a comrade.”
“Don’t be silent. Silence will embrace you in the darkness,” he continued. “Open it to your friends and family because by doing so you will give them permission to do the same.”
Reuters/Yurii Kovalenko
That’s advice he knows firsthand. Harry often spoke about his struggle to adapt to civilian life, serving the British army for ten years, including two tours in Afghanistan.
Duke also paid tribute to the family responsible for his sacrifices during the war, saying, “A wife and mother who keep their loved ones straight and narrow are worthy of just as much respect as those who serve.”
His words carried a personal echo of support he received from Meghan Markle. Before traveling to Ukraine, Harry told the Guardian, “I’ll check with my wife and the British government to make sure it’s okay.”
Eduardo Kritshanibsky/Ministry of Foreign Affairs Ukraine/Global Image via Getty Ukraine
The day at Kyiv also included a personal meeting with Ukrainian veteran minister Natalia Kalmikova. Harry discussed how the Invictus Games Foundation could expand long-term support for the country’s veterans. More than 150,000 people have been seriously injured, so the need is urgent. And Harry’s team has pledged to focus Ukraine in the coming years.
In another personal meeting with Prime Minister Svyrydenko, the Duke of Sussex repeatedly made personal commitments to the entire Invictus community, showing that this engagement is well beyond a single visit.
He joined the panel along with Ukrainian captain Olexiy Tiunin of the Invictus team, David Wiseman, Chief Programme & Strategy Director of the Invictus Games Foundation, and Rudneva and Andriy Stavnitser, leaders of the Superhumans Center.
Emmi Korhonen/Lehtikuva/Shutterstock
Previously, he attended a fundraising lunch and expanded his rehabilitation network with up to five new centres – recovery and rehabilitation experts who are there to support the men and women of service in Ukrainian who have been seriously injured more than 150,000 people.
The visit ended with My Dance Square. There, Harry built a wreath in honor of Ukrainians who lost their lives defending freedom and democracy.
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For Harry, the trip was both personal and iconic. It is a continuation of Invictus’ spirit of recovery, reminding us that all soldiers have a network of family, community and global support.
