The Duchess of Edinburgh visited Bucha and Irpin (photo)

TheDuchess of Edinburgh Sophie Helen arrived in Kyiv for the first time on Monday, 29 April. This is the first visit by a member of the British royal family since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. This is reported by Sky News.

Buckingham Palace reports that Sophie's trip was made to "show solidarity with women, men and children affected by war."

The palace also said it was a continuation of her work to advocate for victims of conflict-related sexual violence.

the 59-year-old duchess met with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and First Lady Olena Zelenska. Sophie gave them a private message in a letter from the King.

The royal visited the mass grave site in Bucha, where victims of the Russian occupation were buried. The Duchess laid flowers at the memorial on which the names of the victims are embossed.

During her visit, the Duchess also met with victims of conflict-related sexual violence and victims of torture, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) said.

She also met with children who were safely returned to Ukraine after being forcibly separated from their families and taken to the Russian Federation.

She also met with women volunteers who are helping their communities cope with the aftermath of the terrorist attacks by providing mental health activities for children.

In her speech during the visit, Sophie said:

It is true that women and girls pay the highest price in terms of human cost when it comes to how they suffer, how they can be used as weapons of war. Rape is used to humiliate, degrade and destroy and we must do a better job of trying to prevent this. I have met survivors of sexual violence and conflict. I thank them for the honesty with which they have told me what happened to them. Their stories are sad.... but I appreciate their time and openness.

As part of her trip, Sophie visited the Road of Life in Irpen, also known as the Romanovsky Bridge, which was blown up to stop Russian troops advancing towards Kiev and then became a key route for people fleeing to safety from the Russian occupation.

Along with the First Lady, Sophie also visited St Sophia Cathedral in Kyiv.

The King of the United Kingdom, while still Prince of Wales, visited Ukraine in 1996. As monarch, he sent a message of support to the people of Ukraine on the occasion of the second anniversary of the war.