King Charles III pays tribute to Ukraine’s ‘courage and resilience’
By Max Foster and Lauren Said-Moorhouse, CNN
Britain’s King Charles has commended the people of Ukraine for showing “truly remarkable courage and resilience in the face of such human tragedy,” in a message marking 12 months of conflict in the country.
“It has now been a year that the people of Ukraine have suffered unimaginably from an unprovoked full-scale attack on their nation,” the monarch said in a statement Friday.
“They have shown truly remarkable courage and resilience in the face of such human tragedy. The world has watched in horror at all the unnecessary suffering inflicted upon Ukrainians, many of whom I have had the great pleasure of meeting here in the UK and, indeed, across the world, from Romania to Canada.”
The King added that it was “heartening” to see the UK and its allies “doing everything possible to help at this most difficult time.”
King Charles reaffirmed his support to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, whom he met at Buckingham Palace earlier this month, and expressed his “personal support” for the people of Ukraine.
When Zelensky was in London in early February, he praised Britain for its steadfast support of his homeland in the year since Russia’s unprovoked invasion. Standing in the historic surroundings of Westminster Hall — the oldest part of the Palace of Westminster, where the late Queen Elizabeth II lay in state a few months before — he namechecked former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, an early and steadfast supporter, and commended UK lawmakers for their “strong British character.”
Earlier this week, King Charles visited an undisclosed location in southwest England where Ukrainian military recruits are being trained.
King Charles watched as the troops — many of them civilians with little to no military experience — were taught basic combat training as part of a five-week course delivered by the UK and international partner forces.
He viewed defensive training exercises, including a scenario where recruits stormed a trench amid a gun battle. Scenes reminiscent of World War I trench warfare have been commonplace in Ukraine over the past year.
The course, which has been in operation since last summer, is designed to provide recruits with hostile-environment training. Over 35 days, they learn basic fieldcraft, medical care, marksmanship, weapon handling, and awareness of the laws of armed conflict, among other subject areas.
“You are amazing, I don’t know how you do it. I am full of admiration,” the King said to a senior Ukrainian officer shortly after his arrival, UK news agency PA Media reported.
The British Army’s Chief of General Staff, Gen. Patrick Sanders, accompanied the King during his visit and outlined the training being delivered. He later described the monarch’s visit as “an honour” before adding that the international training effort had so far made 10,000 troops combat-ready.
A 32-year-old Ukrainian high school teacher, who volunteered to fight in the war, told PA: “We’ve been mostly digging trenches for now, how to defend a trench and counter attack and take it back.
“One of my favorite parts was the urban terrain which will be particularly useful for fighting in the Donbas (region of Ukraine). The hard fight there is mostly urban and we look forward to putting these skills to use and pushing the enemy back,” he added.
As well as meeting many of the Ukrainian recruits and their interpreters, the King also spoke with some of the military personnel providing the training — including instructors from New Zealand, Australian and Canadian forces.
One of them said the royal visit had boosted morale. “To hear that The King was coming to visit was very exciting, not only for the Ukrainian recruits but also for those of us who are training them,” said Capt. Freddie Bradshaw, Company Second in Command, 1st Battalion Irish Guards. “It means a lot to us all to know that he is keen to understand what is taking place here.”
Did you know?
The new monarch has enlisted famed British composer Andrew Lloyd Webber to write the flagship anthem for his upcoming May 6 coronation. The King has personally selected the musical program for the service, which will see “a range of musical styles and performers blend tradition, heritage and ceremony with new musical voices of today,” according to Buckingham Palace. Twelve new pieces have been prepared for the occasion. Lloyd Webber, whose hit musicals “Cats” and “Phantom of the Opera” have been performed around the world, said he was “incredibly honoured” to be involved. Lloyd Webber isn’t the only familiar name the King turned to. Find out more here.
What else is happening?
Top UK defense minister criticizes Prince Harry.
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“Dear Granny, I am sorry that you are ill. I hope you will be better soon,” the letter reads on one side, carefully written on lined Buckingham Palace notepaper and dated March 15, 1955, when the King was 6 years old.
It was discovered inside an envelope addressed from Queen Elizabeth II to the Queen Mother, providing a “three generation run,” Charles Hanson, owner of Hansons Auctioneers and who is responsible for the sale of the letter, told CNN.
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While most monarchies’ crown jewels are heavily protected or given pride of place in a museum, dozens of Cambodia’s were, until recently, stashed away in four boxes near London. The pieces have now been safely returned to their home. The crown jewels were among 77 pieces of centuries-old gold jewelry handed over by the family of the late Douglas Latchford, a British antiquities dealer and leading scholar of Khmer art who in 2019 was accused by US authorities of trafficking artifacts looted from Cambodia. Get the full story on the return of the royal jewels.
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