Sophie Wessex denies she's 'brave' for royal visit to Ukraine
ok.co.ukSophie Wessex has humbly brushed off praise for her 'brave' visit to Ukraine, the first by a Royal since the conflict with Russia began.The Duchess of Edinburgh journeyed to the outskirts of Kyiv in April, just as Russia was forced to make a hasty retreat from moving towards the capital city.
During her trip, Sophie engaged with victims of wartime sexual violence, listening to their harrowing experiences. Yet, upon her return, she has modestly downplayed the 'brave' accolades from admirers in a personal account for The Sunday Times. "Since returning to the UK, many people have said how brave or courageous I was for going," wrote the 59 year old Duchess, countering: "I am neither.The brave people are those who have endured extreme violence and survived." Sophie's visit to Ukraine might have been a first during this war, but it wasn't her first mission to a war-torn region.
She recounted previous visits to South Sudan, Kosovo, Iraq, Colombia, Ethiopia, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, aiming to shine a light on and bolster support for survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.
In her diary, Sophie revealed that since Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, there have been 169 reported cases of conflict-related sexual violence.
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