Royals’ visit brings hope to workers at Ukrainian centre
Duke and Duchess promise to return to help volunteers sending aid home
THEY came wearing vivid blue and bearing a paper bag full of homemade snacks. They promised to come back, privately, to do more.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge yesterday demonstrated their support for the people of Ukraine, as they tried to convey their horror at seeing war waged.
Like parents around the world, they have searched “carefully” for words to reassure their children, they said.
“Ours have been coming home asking all about it,” Prince William said.
“They are obviously talking about it with their friends at school.
“It’s choosing the words carefully to explain what’s going on.”
The couple appeared emotional at times during the one-hour visit, as they heard from volunteers whose family and friends are on the front line.
“We feel so useless,” the Duke admitted.
But for volunteers at the Ukrainian Cultural Centre in Holland Park, West London, the visit was far from useless.
Offering home-baked brownies and granola bars from Kensington Palace, the Duke and Duchess asked after the well-being of the Ukrainians working night and day to help their countrymen living through war.
Wearing the bright blue of the Ukrainian flag and a pin, the Duchess led the way, walking down a narrow staircase into a basement to hug her hosts tightly.
Some of the 40 volunteers at the club took a break from packing boxes to show the couple supplies piled high on trestle tables.
As they listened, the Duke and Duchess looked at stacks of plasters, over-the-counter medicines, baby formula, nappies and warm military coats and socks intended to protect Ukrainians from the bitter weather ahead.
Brightly coloured footballs, intended to brighten the day of children forced from their homes, lay among bags labelled with hearts and hand-painted posters promising: “We stand united.”
The Cambridges, who like the Queen have already made a private donation to the Disasters Emergency Committee, frowned deeply as they heard Ukrainians’ fears for their homeland.
“It’s very alien to see this in Europe,” said the Duke. “We are all behind you.”
Hearing of the public response to the invasion, he added: “The irony is … Europe is closer together than it’s ever been before because of Ukraine.
“We have seen a lot of that Ukrainian spirit already. Keep together. Everyone is there for you. We feel for you, we really do.”
The Duke and Duchess posed for photographs with the volunteers, noting it was the least they could do.
“I think we need to come and help out,” said the Duchess. “Give you some respite.”
The couple were escorted by the Ukrainian ambassador, Vadym Prystaiko, his wife Inna, and Inna Hryhorovych, who set up the relief operation and have recently also met the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. She said: “It is important to know the Royal family are with us. Their support sends a message to the people in Ukraine.”
The social club volunteers are sending lorry-loads of goods to a hub in western Ukraine, from where it is distributed to the front line.
“The British people have been incredibly generous,” said Saleh Saeed, chief executive of the Disasters Emergency Committee, a group of 15 British charities channelling humanitarian aid to Ukraine.
“They have given £132million over the last six days. But this is not going to be over soon.”
‘It’s important to know the Royal family are with us. Their support sends a message to people in Ukraine’