Harry has made a surprise trip to Kyiv, where he visited war-torn Ukraine, but William is reportedly “fuming”
Harry’s visit to Kyiv comes just months after he visited the country previously(Image: 2018 Max Mumby/Indigo)
In an unexpected turn of events, Prince Harry has journeyed to Kyiv with the Invictus Foundation, visiting the conflict-ridden Ukraine following a four-day stay in the UK.
The Duke of Sussex had a reunion with his father, King Charles, during his time back on British soil, and the two spent nearly an hour together at Clarence House, marking their first face-to-face meeting in 19 months.
However, the strained relationship between him and his elder brother, Prince William, appears to remain unresolved. Both brothers were engaged in separate commitments during Harry’s visit, at one point being just eight miles apart, but no rendezvous was arranged between the once inseparable pair.
Harry’s trip to Kyiv, a city that saw significant government buildings targeted by Russian missiles last weekend, comes only a few months after his previous visit to the country, where he spent time at the Superhuman Trauma Centre in Lyiv, a facility that assists amputees.
Following a fortuitous meeting with the CEO of the centre, Olga Rudnieva, in New York, it was suggested that he should visit Kyiv itself, which is much closer to the conflict zone than Lyiv, reports the Mirror.
Harry’s Ukraine visit could worsen tensions with William(Image: In Pictures via Getty Images)
He has clarified that he sought permission from the UK government for the trip, as well as confirming with Meghan that she was comfortable with it, before receiving an official invitation from the Ukrainian government.
Since leaving the Armed Forces himself, Harry has been a staunch supporter of wounded veterans, launching the Invictus Games in 2014 to highlight the therapeutic power of sport for former service personnel.
However, his maiden trip to Ukraine is said to have left his elder brother, Prince William, absolutely livid with palace officials.
William has also been a staunch champion of Ukraine since Russia’s invasion in 2022, but he was reportedly prevented from visiting the nation due to “security concerns” in 2024.
He was permitted to travel to Poland, where he met British troops and expressed gratitude for “protecting our freedoms”.
Prince Harry arrives on central railway station in Kyiv region, Ukraine(Image: AP)
He also journeyed to Estonia, where he had the opportunity to speak with Ukrainian refugees and tour a military base that serves as a vital strategic location on NATO’s eastern frontier.
Nevertheless, the future monarch was told categorically, the Daily Mail reported, that he would not be permitted to visit Ukraine itself.
Despite having “long-hoped” to make the trip, it was “firmly rejected” as an option, with the heir to the throne voicing his frustration to Kensington Palace staff, “rankled” by the fact his younger brother had been allowed to go.
The contrasting experiences of the two brothers has been a persistent source of tension between them.
Harry’s position as the ‘spare’ to William’s heir is so integral to his sense of identity that he even chose it as the title for his explosive memoir, published in 2023.
Harry reveals in the book that rivalry and competition were evident in the brothers’ relationship from their earliest years, even describing William as his “beloved brother and arch nemesis”.
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In an interview for his book, Harry suggested that his brother might be envious of his position, stating, “I have more freedom than he does… his life is planned out for him. I have more flexibility to… choose the life that I wanted.”
In his memoir, Harry also revealed that William had once aspired to serve on the “front lines” just like the Duke of Sussex did during his two tours in Afghanistan, but the palace had “scuttled his plans”.
“I was training to get to the front line, the same place Willy had been training to get, but the Palace had scuttled his plans,” he penned. “The Spare, sure, let him run around a battlefield like a chicken with its head cut off, if that’s what he likes.”