Prince Harry received a horde of birthday presents during his surprise trip to Ukraine last week, including peculiar hidden dagger.
The Duke of Sussex made the sudden journey to Kyiv, the capital of the embattled nation, just days before ringing in his 41st birthday.
Harry was in the country to support the work of his Invictus Games Foundation and celebrate the recovery of scores of veterans injured since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine three years ago.
The duke was warmly received during his tour of the capital, at the invite of Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko and CEO of the Superhumans trauma centre in Lviv Olga Rudnieva.
Prince Harry received a horde of birthday gifts from grateful Ukrainians during his surprise trip to Kyiv
|GETTY
While attending a fundraiser for Superhumans at the Fairmont hotel in Kyiv, a bemused Harry was inundated with presents from well-wishers.
When it came time to return home to the US, the duke’s private jet will apparently filled to the brim with gifts.
Among the eclectic collection of items given to him was a dagger which was hidden inside the handle of an ornate walking stick.
Harry credited his 10 years of service in the British army for the Ukrainian's generosity towards him and their enthusiasm for Invictus.
Among the presents given to the duke was a hidden dagger in a ornate walking stick
|GETTY
“It’s amazing. We never expected this level of recognition,” Olga Rudnieva said of Harry’s popularity among the people of Kyiv.
“Ordinary people know who he is. We honestly didn’t know he had become such a celebrity. I think Prince Harry coming here is a symbol of victory and power.
“People look at him and his military experience and they see he is not afraid to come to Ukraine. It is so important that he came,” she celebrated.
Ruslan Prykhodko, Ukraine’s deputy minister for veteran's affairs, welcomed the work of Invictus.
Harry was in Ukraine to support the work of his Invictus Games Foundation with wounded veterans
|GETTY
“Sports recovery and rehabilitation did not exist in Ukraine before Invictus,” he told The Guardian.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has left at least 130,000 people with life-altering injuries, ranging from triple amputees to disfigured faces.
“Seeing people with prosthetics and life-changing injuries is going to be the norm in Ukraine for the coming decades,” Prince Harry told the paper.
“Nobody should feel embarrassed or ashamed about their disabilities. It’s about flipping from sympathy to admiration and respect,” he assured.
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Meghan appeared to confirm Harry had returned home with several social media posts
|INSTAGRAM: @MEGHAN
Following his emotional tour of Kyiv, Harry returned home to California to celebrate his birthday with Meghan Markle and their two children, Archie and Lilibet.
Seemingly confirming his return, Meghan made a post through her As Ever lifestyle brand that teased: “When your beau is back in town...”
To mark his birthday on Monday, the Duchess of Sussex made another post with the coy caption: “Oh hi, Birthday Boy.”
The post featured a throwback image of Harry from his time as an army helicopter crewman.
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