Queen Elizabeth Wishes Ukraine a Happy Independence Day amid 'Most Challenging Year'

Mar. 15, 2025

Queen Elizabeth.Photo: Andrew Milligan/Pool/Getty

Queen Elizabethis thinking of Ukraine.

The 96-year-old monarch wished the Eastern European country well on their Independence Day Wednesday, over three decades since the nation broke from the Soviet Union in 1991.

“On their 31st anniversary of Independence, Her Majesty The Queen congratulates Ukrainians,” the British Embassy Kyiv wrote onTwitter, quoting the two following messages as an “address to the President of Ukraine.”

According to the embassy,Queen Elizabethsaid, “It gives me great pleasure to send Your Excellency and the people of Ukraine my warmest greetings on the celebration of your Independence Day.

“In this most challenging year, I hope that today will be a time for the Ukrainian people, both in Ukraine and around the world, to celebrate their culture, history and identity,” she continued. “May we look to better times in the future,” she said, signing off on a personal note as “Elizabeth R.”

Queen Elizabeth.Chris Jackson - WPA Pool/Getty

The monarch has previously shared support for Ukraine amid theRussian invasion. In March, the Disasters Emergency Committee announced she made a “generous donation” to its Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.

Like the Queen,Prince Charles,Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall,Prince William,Kate Middleton,Prince HarryandMeghan Marklehave all backed Ukraine in the war. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said theystood with Ukrainein a statement to their joint@KensingtonRoyalTwitter account in March, echoingsimilar sentimentsPrince Harry and Meghan shared to their Archewell site days before.

Also in March, Charles and Camilla had anemotional meetingwith Ukrainians in London. The duchess, 75, appeared tearful, but comforted the wife of Ukraine’s Ambassador to the U.K. Vadym Prystaiko, hugging her and telling her, “We are praying for you.”

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Prince Charles.ALEX MICSIK/AGERPRES FOTO/AFP via Getty

Two months later, the Prince of Wales, 73,made a surprise tripto Bucharest, Romania, to see firsthand the efforts being made for the refugees who crossed the border from neighboring Ukraine.

Ahead of the Independence Day holiday this year,Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyyand other officials urged against celebrations in the country’s capital, Kyiv, and second-largest city, Kharkiv,CNNreported.

“We must all be aware that this week Russia could try to do something particularly ugly, something particularly vicious,” the president said in a video message, per CNN.

The city military administration in Kyiv banned all big gatherings between Monday and Thursday. “It is forbidden to hold mass events, peaceful meetings, rallies and other events related to a large gathering of people,” the administration said, per the network.

Russia first launched the military attack on Ukraineon the morning of Feb. 24, six months since Wednesday.

source: people.com