Prince Harry arrived in Kyiv on Friday in a surprise visit to support wounded Ukrainian service members, officials and charities, British and Ukrainian authorities said. His detailed schedule was not released for security reasons.
During an overnight trip, Harry told the Guardian he planned to visit the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War, spend time with about 200 veterans and meet Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. "We cannot stop the war but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process," he said, adding that the trip aimed to "humanize the people involved in this war" and keep the conflict in the public eye.
The Associated Press reported that Harry's arrival in Kyiv followed an unexpected reunion with his father, King Charles, at Clarence House in London earlier this week — their first meeting in more than a year. The prince had returned to the U.K. on Sept. 8 to support key causes and charities and to mark the third anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's death by visiting her grave in Windsor.
This is Harry's second trip to Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. He visited the western city of Lviv in April, where he toured the Superhumans Trauma Centre, a rehabilitation organization for war victims. Harry later said he was encouraged to visit Kyiv after a chance meeting with Superhumans' founder, Olga Rudnieva, and that he had checked with his wife, Meghan Markle, and with the British government before accepting an official invitation to travel to the capital.
Harry's London meeting with King Charles was described by royal-watchers as significant after months of strained relations within the royal family. People magazine and other outlets have reported that Charles, who was diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer in 2024, had not been answering some calls and letters, and that Prince Harry and his brother, Prince William, have not been on speaking terms. In May, Harry told the BBC he wanted reconciliation, saying, "I would love reconciliation with my family. There's no point in continuing to fight anymore. I don't know how much longer my father has."
Security concerns kept many details of Friday's Kyiv itinerary private; such restrictions have been standard for high-profile foreign visitors to the Ukrainian capital during the conflict. Organizers said Harry would focus on meeting wounded service members and visiting sites showing the humanitarian and physical toll of the war.
News outlets reporting on the trip cited statements from Harry about the need to maintain international attention on Ukraine and to support recovery work for those affected by the fighting. The Associated Press and the Guardian provided on-the-ground accounts of the visit; other details of the prince's engagements were released selectively by hosts in Kyiv and by his representatives for safety and diplomatic considerations.