Prince Harry appeared to make a surprise nod to the UK during his unannounced visit to Ukraine on Thursday.
Though he now lives in the US and has stepped down as a senior member of the royal family, the Duke of Sussex acknowledged his roots as he gave a speech at the Kyiv Security Forum.
Royal fans soon spotted that Harry was wearing an enamel Union Jack and Ukraine friendship pin badge, emphasising the importance of the support between the two countries amid the ongoing conflict with Russia. Two large Union Jack flags also flanked him on either side of the stage.
Harry arrived in Ukraine on Thursday morning after taking the overnight train from Poland. He has so far met senior members of the military and soldiers who have been wounded in the war against Russia. The Prince, 41, is also due to spend time with the HALO Trust, which arranged his mother Princess Diana‘s iconic landmine walk in Angola.
The badge may come as a surprise to some, as Harry has had a strained relationship with his family back in the UK since 2020, when he stepped down as a working royal with wife Meghan Markle. Years earlier, in 2008, he said: “I generally don’t like England that much”.
Echoing Diana’s words
Prince Harry gave a keynote speech at the security forum on Thursday following his whirlwind tour of Australia with Meghan last week.
Echoing the words of his late mother, Princess Diana, he told his audience he was “not here as a politician” but instead as a “soldier who understands service, as a humanitarian who has seen the human cost of conflict, and as a friend of Ukraine who believes the world must not grow used to this war or numb to its consequences”.
During her 1997 Angola visit, Diana said she was “not a political figure” but instead a “humanitarian”.
Harry directly addressed President Putin during his 15-minute speech, saying: “The world must not grow used to this war or numb to its consequences.”
© Tim Graham Photo Library via GetHe added: “Years into this war, with immense losses and limited gains, it is increasingly clear that this path offers no victor – only more loss. President Putin, no nation benefits from the continued loss of life we are witnessing.”
Trump’s comments on Harry
Harry had also addressed the Trump administration during his speech, saying: “This is a moment for American leadership – a moment for America to show that it can honour its international treaty obligations – not out of charity, but out of its enduring role in global security and strategic stability.”
During a White House briefing afterwards, President Donald Trump declared that Harry “no longer speaks for the UK”. He quipped: “How’s he doing? How’s his wife? Please give her my regards.”
Trump has long shown disdain for Harry and Meghan. His comments come amid preparations for King Charles and Queen Camilla’s state visit to the US next week.
Harry’s father will be visiting the President and his wife to mark the 250th anniversary of American independence.
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