Prince Charles speaks at a council meeting during his visit to Southend-on-Sea on March 1, 2022 in southeast England. In his speech, he condemned the invasion of Ukraine.© Matthew Childs/WPA Pool, Getty Images Prince Charles speaks at a council meeting during his visit to Southend-on-Sea on March 1, 2022 in southeast England. In his speech, he condemned the invasion of Ukraine.

“What we saw in the terrible tragedy in Southend was an attack on democracy, on an open society, on freedom itself,” the prince said. “We are seeing those same values under attack today in Ukraine in the most unconscionable way. In the stand we take here, we are in solidarity with all those who are resisting brutal aggression.”

On Wednesday, Charles and his wife, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall, went further to show support for Ukraine by meeting with members of the Ukrainian community in London at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral. They met with school children and their mothers, community and religious leaders, and humanitarian aid workers from the community and from the prince’s charities who are supporting relief efforts in Ukraine.

Charles and Duchess Camilla listened while the children sang a song, and then the royal couple lit a candle and lay sunflowers, the national flower of Ukraine, at the cathedral altar.

Some British reporters considered Charles’ Southend remarks remarkably explicit in condemning the invasion.

This despite the fact that over his decades serving as as next-in-line to the throne, Charles has occasionally trod the constitutional line about staying mum about political matters – such as, say, his campaign to fight climate change or his complicated relationship with China – and has been strongly criticized for it, too.

The Prince of Wales and his wife, Duchess Camilla of Cornwall, pose near the pier during their visit to Southend-on-Sea to mark the community in southeastern England becoming a city, on March 1, 2022.© JUSTIN TALLIS, POOL/AFP via Getty Images The Prince of Wales and his wife, Duchess Camilla of Cornwall, pose near the pier during their visit to Southend-on-Sea to mark the community in southeastern England becoming a city, on March 1, 2022.

The queen makes a donation to Ukraine relief efforts

His mother, Queen Elizabeth II, has never crossed that line and so far she has not said anything in public about the invasion of Ukraine.

But the queen, who is slowly getting back to light royal duties following a COVID-19 diagnosis, made a “generous” donation – from her private funds – to relief efforts for Ukraine by the Disasters Emergency Committee, a British charity that has been appealing for donations since the invasion. On Thursday, the charity thanked Her Majesty in a tweet.

“Many thanks to Her Majesty The Queen for continuing to support the Disasters Emergency Committee and for making a generous donation to the DEC Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal,” the DEC tweet read.

It was also reported Friday that one of the queen’s cousins, Prince Michael of Kent (both are grandchildren of King George V and both are related to the last Russian tsar), who has a long business relationship with Russia, will return the Order of Friendship he received from then-Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in 2009, according to The Express and PoliticsHome.com, quoting a palace statement.

 

 

Charles has not been the only royal to condemn the invasion.

Harry and Meghan speak out

His younger son, Prince Harry, and his wife, Duchess Meghan of Sussex, spoke out in a post on their Archewell website on Feb. 24 under the headline, “We Stand With the People of Ukraine.”

“Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and all of us at Archewell stand with the people of Ukraine against this breach of international and humanitarian law and encourage the global community and its leaders to do the same,” their post read.

 

 

Harry and Meghan, who are no longer working royals having moved to California, are regularly criticized on social media and in the British press for expressing their opinions on anything, political or otherwise.

But they are still royals and Harry remains sixth in line to the throne.

Zelenskyy replies to William, Kate on Twitter

Then, on Feb. 26, Charles’ elder son, Prince William and his wife, Duchess Kate of Cambridge, spoke out in a tweet, recalling their October 2020 meeting with Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and his first lady, Olena Zelenska.

“In October 2020 we had the privilege to meet President Zelenskyy and the First Lady to learn of their hope and optimism for Ukraine’s future. Today we stand with the President and all of Ukraine’s people as they bravely fight for that future,” the Cambridge tweet read.

There was no criticism on social media or from the tabloids about the Cambridges’ tweet.

 

 

In fact, Zelenskyy, the former comic-turned-president and now wartime hero, thanked Will and Kate in a tweet on Tuesday.

“Olena and I are grateful to the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge @RoyalFamily that at this crucial time, when Ukraine is courageously opposing Russia’s invasion, they stand by our country and support our brave citizens. Good will triumph,” the tweet said.

    • Slide 1 of 21: Prince Charles is greeted with flags and good wishes on walkabout during a visit with Duchess Camilla of Cornwall to Southend-on-Sea, in southeastern England, to mark the community becoming a city, on March 1, 2022.
    • Slide 2 of 21: The Prince of Wales and his wife, Duchess Camilla of Cornwall, pose near the pier during their visit to Southend-on-Sea to mark the community in southeastern England becoming a city, on March 1, 2022.

Slide 1 of 21: Prince Charles is greeted with flags and good wishes on walkabout during a visit with Duchess Camilla of Cornwall to Southend-on-Sea, in southeastern England, to mark the community becoming a city, on March 1, 2022.

Full Screen

1/21 SLIDES © JUSTIN TALLIS, AFP via Getty Images
Prince Charles is greeted with flags and good wishes on walkabout during a visit with Duchess Camilla of Cornwall to Southend-on-Sea, in southeastern England, to mark the community becoming a city, on March 1, 2022.