When the duchess visited to highlight the hidden toll of sexual violence, friends called her brave. But it’s the survivors of Putin’s war that show true courage, she writes

Sophie Wessex has boldly shrugged off praise labelling her "brave" following her groundbreaking trip to Ukraine, making her the first Royal to set foot in the war-torn nation since hostilities with Russia broke out.

The Duchess of Edinburgh has called for better psychological care and evidence gathering to bring justice for victims of sexual violence in war after she became the first member of the Royal family to visit Ukraine since it was invaded.

Sophie, the Duchess of Edinburgh, became the first Royal to visit Ukraine since the outbreak of war with Russia, but has since dismissed comments that called her 'brave'

Duchess Sophie might be the first royal to visit Ukraine since the outbreak of war with Russia, but she doesn’t think she’s owed any special praise. “Since returning to the UK, many people have said how brave or courageous I was for going,

Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh has rejected suggestions that she was "brave" for visiting Ukraine. The duchess became the first member of the British royal family to visit the war-torn country since Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022 when she made a brief trip last month but insists the victims of sexual violence during the conflict are the ones who are truly "courageous".