Prince Harry makes surprise visit to Ukraine after leaving the UK

Prince Harry has made an unexpected visit to Ukraine after concluding his four-day trip to the UK, where he reunited privately with his father, King Charles.

Instead of returning to California on Thursday night as anticipated, the Duke of Sussex, 40, boarded a train bound for Kyiv, Ukraine’s capital.

The trip was made in response to a personal invitation from Olga Rudnieva, founder and CEO of the Superhumans Trauma Centre in Lviv, a facility providing free prosthetics, surgery, and psychological support to Ukrainian war victims.

Prince Harry has made a surprise trip to Ukraine after spending four days in the UK (Credit: Cover Images)

Prince Harry makes surprise visit to Ukraine after checking with Meghan Markle

After consulting with his wife, Meghan Markle, and seeking clearance from the British government, Harry received the official invitation and proceeded with the trip.

Speaking to The Guardian, Harry said: “I had to check with my wife and the British government to make sure it was OK. Then the official invitation came.”

The duke said of the conflict in Ukraine: “We cannot stop the war but what we can do is do everything we can to help the process. We can continue to humanise the people involved in this war and what they are going through. We have to keep it in the forefront of people’s minds.

“I hope this trip will help to bring it home to people because it’s easy to become desensitised to what has been going on.”

Harry was joined by representatives from the Invictus Games Foundation, the organisation he founded in 2014 to support wounded, sick, and injured veterans.

Harry said he checked with Meghan before his trip to Ukraine (Credit: INSTARimages)

Duke of Sussex’s involvement in helping Ukraine

Ukraine has been a participant in the Invictus Games since 2017. Harry’s visit is part of ongoing efforts to strengthen rehabilitation programs to support the wounded across the country.

The duke also emphasised that his mission is to help veterans and their loved ones navigate the recovery process.

He said: “In Lviv, you don’t see much of the war. It is so far west. This is the first time we will see the real destruction of the war.”

A video posted by Ukrainian Railways showed the duke stepping off a train dubbed the “Superroyal-Express,” and warmly greeting waiting officials in Kyiv.

Harry then revealed that the idea to visit Kyiv came after a chance meeting with Olga Rudnieva in New York.

He said he “bumped into” Olga in New York. Harry said he “asked her what I could do to help” and she said that “the biggest impact you have is coming to Kyiv”.

The Duke of Sussex will spend time with veterans at a trauma centre in Lviv (Credit: Cover Images)

What will Harry do in Ukraine?

The Duke of Sussex is expected to meet with Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko on Friday, and visit the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War.

He will spend time with 200 injured veterans here.

Harry’s visit to Ukraine comes directly after a busy week of engagements in the UK. He attended the 2025 WellChild Awards in London on Monday (September 8).

I had to check with my wife and the British government to make sure it was OK.

This was followed by a visit to Nottingham’s Community Recording Studio on Tuesday, where he also donated £1.1 million ($1.5 million) to BBC Children in Need from his own pocket.

The Duke of Sussex then stopped by the Centre for Blast Injury Studies in London on Wednesday.

Perhaps most notably, he met with his father, King Charles, for a private tea at Clarence House on Wednesday evening. This marked their first in-person meeting in 19 months.

A royal spokesperson confirmed the reunion. Harry’s team also echoed that the meeting took place in private and would remain undisclosed.

“It was a good first step,” a source told PEOPLE. “It is always better to be talking.”