Princess Kate spent Wednesday morning visiting a group that has spent the last year helping those who fled the conflict in Ukraine and headed to the U.K. — as well as those who were left behind.
Kate paid a visit to the Vsi Razom Community Hub in the Lexicon shopping center in Bracknell — about 10 miles from the princess’s Windsor home — where she helped pack parcels of food and clothes with young Ukrainians, who arrived in the U.K. in the last year.
The packages are set to be taken back to Ukraine, and distributed to families directly affected by the war that began with the Russian invasion in February 2022.
The Princess of Wales penned a rare handwritten message on one box, writing, “We are all thinking of you.” Sticking to past precedent, she refrained from signing her name, which the royals often do to avoid risk of forgery.
Kate also joined an arts and crafts session with local children (including a little girl wearing a princess crown!), where she spent some time talking to volunteers about the different services the hub provides to help displaced Ukrainians get support, advice and build friendships locally.
The Princess of Wales also met the Hub’s psychologist who visits those who are adjusting to life in their new home once a week for mental health support.
It is the latest in a series of events that Kate and her husband, Prince William, have undertaken to show their solidarity with Ukraine.
In September of 2022, Kate held a special audience with Ukraine’s First Lady Olena Zelenska at Buckingham Palace, who traveled to the U.K. to attend Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.
She and William also made a surprise visit to the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in London in March 2022 to hear about the efforts being made to support Ukrainians in the U.K. and across Europe.
They met with members of the Ukrainian community and volunteers to learn about services being offered at the center, as well as the challenges the community continues to face.
The couple’s Royal Foundation has also convened a virtual roundtable conference to discuss how best to support the First Lady of Ukraine’s mental health strategy, which is addressing the impact the ongoing conflict is having upon the mental wellbeing of Ukrainians.
