The Duke of Sussex made a surprise solo appearance at a black-tie gala in London on Thursday night to support Ukrainian charities. Prince Harry arrived at the Imperial War Museum in central London wearing a tuxedo for the United for Freedom gala, smiling and waving at photographers. The event was held to raise money for organisations supporting Ukraine as the war entered its fourth year earlier this year.
Harry attended the event without his wife Meghan Markle, who has been keeping a low profile since the Sussexes' return to the UK, but was followed into the event by his private bodyguard.
Duke's address at the gala
The Duke, who was an unannounced guest at the gala, gave an address at the event, speaking about the historical ties between Britain and Ukraine before sharing his own experience during recent trips to the war-torn country.
Harry said: “I have seen something in Ukraine that makes it impossible for me to look away. I have met people who have lost limbs, lost homes and lost loved ones — and yet somehow find the strength to rebuild.”
He added: “I have spent time with members of the Ukrainian Invictus community: men and women who served their country and suffered life-changing injuries, but who continue to compete, to lead, to laugh and to look forward.”
Resilience and resolve
Elsewhere in the speech, the Duke, who served in the British Army for a decade, said: “What has stayed with me most is that resilience in Ukraine does not belong to any one group. It belongs to the whole country. To those defending the front line. To those treating the wounded.”
He continued: “To those keeping businesses, schools and communities going. To those developing technology that is changing the nature of modern warfare. And to those rebuilding today what was destroyed yesterday, knowing it could be struck again tomorrow. That is national resilience in its truest form.”
He added: “But their resilience should never become an excuse for the rest of us to tolerate their suffering. Ukrainians should not have to prove, year after year, just how much they can endure. Their courage deserves more than our admiration. It deserves our resolve.”
Harry's previous visits to Ukraine
Harry has dedicated much of his time in recent years to the war in Ukraine, visiting the region several times to speak with charities and veterans impacted by the ongoing conflict.
Earlier this year, Harry visited the city of Bucha in Ukraine with his charity Halo Trust and walked across an area filled with landmines, wearing just a protection vest. Hundreds of Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war were killed in Bucha during a massacre in April 2022, when Russian forces withdrew from the city.
Also during the visit, the Duke directly called on Putin to 'stop the war' as he spoke at the Kyiv Security Forum. In his speech, he said: "President Putin, no nation benefits from the continued loss of life we are witnessing. There is still a moment – now – to stop this war, to prevent further suffering for Ukrainians and Russians alike, and to choose a different course."
Harry's surprise appearance at the United for Freedom Gala came just hours after his estranged brother Prince William surprised guests at a party celebrating the legacy of 'incomparable' cancer campaigner Dame Deborah James. The Prince of Wales sent a video message to the inaugural Rebel Ball, which raised almost £317,000 for Dame Deborah's Bowelbabe Fund for Cancer Research UK, praising her legacy. Dame Deborah was diagnosed with bowel cancer in 2016 at the age of 35 and in the final weeks of her life in May 2022, she set up the Bowelbabe Fund to raise money for vital research into the disease.
