The Duke of Sussex has declared he will always be part of the royal family during his unannounced visit to Ukraine, insisting he is in the war-torn nation “doing the very thing that I was born to do.”
Harry’s Speech at Kyiv Security Forum
Harry’s comments follow an impassioned address at the Kyiv Security Forum on Thursday, where he appealed to Russian President Vladimir Putin to “stop this war” and urged “American leadership” to honour its obligations in the Ukrainian conflict. The duke, who served two frontline tours in Afghanistan, emphasised he was “not here as a politician” but as “a soldier who understands service” and a “humanitarian”—echoing remarks made by his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, during her 1997 trip to Angola.
Rejecting the ‘Non-Working Royal’ Label
Speaking to ITV News in Ukraine on Friday, Harry rejected the description of himself as “not a working royal.” He said: “I will always be part of the royal family and I’m here working and doing the very thing that I was born to do, and I enjoy doing it. I enjoy being able to do these trips and come and support the people that I’ve met before, the friends that I’ve made, and hopefully bringing attention to issues that for one reason or another drop out of the news because something else has popped up.”
Impact on King’s US State Visit
Harry’s trip comes just days before his father, King Charles III, begins a major state visit to the United States to meet President Donald Trump, amid transatlantic tensions over the Iran conflict. When asked if he believed his comments in Ukraine might affect the state visit, Harry replied: “Not at all.”
Remembering Diana’s Legacy
The duke also referenced his mother’s 1997 trip to Angola to campaign against landmines. During that visit, Diana said: “I am not a political figure. I am a humanitarian figure and always have been and always will be.” On Friday, Harry told ITV News: “It’s very, very sad because nearly 30 years ago since my mother was in Angola here we are again in a new conflict.”
Trump Responds to Harry’s Remarks
It was a rare intervention on global matters when Harry implored the US to “honour its international treaty obligations” and maintain its “enduring role in global security.” Responding, President Trump said: “I know one thing, Prince Harry is not speaking for the UK, that’s for sure. I think I am speaking for the UK more than Prince Harry. But I appreciate his advice very much.”
Harry Urges Speaking Truth to Power
Harry countered that people need to “speak up.” He told ITV News: “As a global community we need to feel empowered to be able to speak truth to power. It’s really that simple. It’s bad enough in today’s world feeling gagged and saying that you can’t say these things and can’t say that and everything becomes political. I fundamentally disagree with that. What we are witnessing and what we are seeing is a humanitarian catastrophe in multiple parts of the world and people are speaking up and people will continue to speak up and I would encourage more people to do the speaking up.”
Background of the Visit
Harry’s unannounced visit—his third trip to Ukraine since the war began in 2022—comes days after he finished a tour of Australia with his wife, the Duchess of Sussex. He stopped in the UK on his journey to Ukraine but only transited through, not leaving airside.
