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Royal admission Princess Anne shares personal detail about her daughter Zara during surprise Ukraine trip

Princess Anne made a personal remark about her daughter, Zara Tindall, during a surprise visit to Ukraine this week.

The Princess Royal, 75, met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, first lady Olena Zelenska, in Kyiv where she paid her respects at the Children’s Memorial on Tuesday.

After placing a teddy bear at the memorial, which was erected in honor of the innocent children who have lost their lives in the war with Russia, Anne shared an emotional moment with the first lady.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky (L) holds a letter he received from Britain's Anne (R), Princess Royal as they visit St. Sophia's Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, 30 September 2025.
Princess Anne made a personal remark about her daughter, Zara Tindall, during a surprise visit to Ukraine this week. THOMAS PETER/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock
Britain's Anne, Princess Royal, walks past burned out Russian military vehicles in front of St. Michael's Golden-Domed Monastery.
The Princess Royal, 75, met with President Volodymyr Zelensky and his wife, first lady Olena Zelenska, in Kyiv. REUTERS

“That was one that my daughter had,” she said of the teddy bear, per Sky News.

The princess shares daughter Zara, 44, and son Peter, 47, with her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips. She is also a grandmother of five.

King Charles’s younger sister discussed the UK’s ongoing support for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia before highlighting the traumatic experiences of children living on the frontline, Buckingham Palace said.

Anne’s trip, which was not publicized beforehand over security fears, took place at the request of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Elsewhere during the visit, Anne met with female police officers and military servicewomen to learn more about their role in protecting women and children as the escalating violence rages on.

Britain's Anne (R), Princess Royal, and Ukraine's first lady is Olena Zelenska lay soft toys at a memorial for children who were killed during the war in Kyiv, Ukraine, 30 September 2025, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine.
The beloved royal paid her respects by placing a teddy bear at the Children’s Memorial on Tuesday. THOMAS PETER/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock
Princess Anne, Princess Royal, Zara Phillips and Mike Tindall attend Royal Ascot 2022 at Ascot Racecourse on June 16, 2022 in Ascot, England.
The princess shares daughter Zara, 44, with her first husband, Captain Mark Phillips. Samir Hussein/WireImage
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskiy meets Britain's Anne, Princess Royal.
King Charles’s younger sister discussed the UK’s ongoing support for Ukraine in its ongoing war with Russia. REUTERS

She also toured the Child Rights Protection Center during her visit.

The beloved royal’s trip comes just two weeks after her estranged nephew, Prince Harry, traveled to Kyiv on his way back to the US following a fleeting four-day visit to the UK.

“I had to check with my wife and the British government to make sure it was OK,” the “Spare” author said on Sept. 12 as he arrived in the war-torn capital.

The duke pledged to do “everything possible” to help thousands of Ukrainian soldiers and service personnel injured in the ongoing conflict.

“We cannot stop the war but what we can do is do everything we can to help the recovery process,” he went on.

Princess Anne shakes hands with Ukraine's first lady Olena Zelenska in Kyiv, Ukraine on Sept. 30, 2025.
Princess Anne shakes hands with Ukraine’s first lady Olena Zelenska in Kyiv, Ukraine on Sept. 30, 2025. THOMAS PETER/POOL/EPA/Shutterstock

Princess Anne looks at an icon in St. Michael's Cathedral during her visit to Kyiv, Ukraine on Sept. 30, 2025.
Princess Anne looks at an icon in St. Michael’s Cathedral during her visit to Kyiv, Ukraine on Sept. 30, 2025. REUTERS
Britain's Princess Anne, Princess Royal, talks with Ukrainian police officers in a World War Two museum in Kyiv, on September 30, 2025.
Anne met with female police officers and military servicewomen during her visit. POOL/AFP via Getty Images

“We can continue to humanize the people involved in this war and what they are going through,” he continued. “We have to keep it in the forefront of people’s minds. I hope this trip will help to bring it home to people because it’s easy to become desensitized to what has been going on.”

The trip loosely mirrors his visit in April, when he traveled to Lviv to meet with war victims — his first time setting foot on Ukrainian soil.