Prince William lays wreath at Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

The Prince of Wales has laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Warsaw, leaving a personal note paying tribute to those “who made the ultimate sacrifice”.

Prince William visited the monument, which is dedicated to Polish soldiers who have lost their lives in conflict, in the city’s Pilsudski Square on Thursday morning.

He left a handwritten note on the wreath, which reads: “In memory of those who made the ultimate sacrifice”.

The late Queen Elizabeth and Duke of Edinburgh also laid a wreath at the Tomb during a state visit to Poland in 1996.

The occasion marked Prince William’s second day of his surprise visit to the country to personally thank British and Polish soldiers involved in the war in Ukraine as well as see the humanitarian side of the conflict for himself.

He also met with the President of Poland, Andrzej Duda, during which he expressed his thanks to the Polish people for their ongoing support and generosity to their neighbouring Ukrainians.

More than 10 million Ukrainian refugees have crossed the border into Poland since the start of the war last February.

The Prince went to the Presidential Palace in the centre of Warsaw to meet with President Duda, during which he was keen to “reiterate the profound relationship shared by our two nations”.

He also wanted to underline his continued support and gratitude to the Polish people.

Kensington Palace said William was there to “express his thanks to the Polish people for their ongoing generosity and hospitality in these turbulent times”.

William and the president sat down for their meeting in the Palace’s White Room, accompanied by British ambassador Anna Clunes.

On Thursday afternoon, the Prince is expected to travel to a Food Hall in the city where he will speak to young Ukrainian refugees who have settled in Warsaw since feeling the war in their home country.

They have settled in Warsaw since Russia’s invasion last year and have managed to continue their studies or find employment in the city.

He is expected to hear about their experiences of settling into Poland as well as their hopes for the future.

The Prince will also hear from members of the Polish community who have hosted displaced Ukrainians. He will thank them and their families for their hospitality and kindness.

Last night, William visited an accommodation centre in Warsaw where he met with young Ukrainian children and mothers who have taken refuge there after fleeing Ukraine.

A spokesperson for the Prince of Wales said the conversation with President Duda was “warm and friendly”.

They added it was “predominately focused on the ongoing conflict with the war in Ukraine, particularly its impact on Polish society”.

William took the opportunity of the meeting to thank the President and the Polish people who have done so much to support the people of Ukraine who have fled to neighbouring Poland.

They also discussed the importance of the need for ongoing support to Ukraine and its people.

The spokesman added that the Prince said he was very much looking forward to seeing the President and first lady at the Coronation and he thanked him for attending the late Queen’s funeral last September.

Outside the food market a milliner handed Prince William a pink felt hat she had made specially for Kate.

Outside the food market a milliner handed Prince William a pink felt hat she had made specially for Kate.

Marta Galinska, 47, said: “I told him that I appreciated the work he does under the umbrella of Heads Together.

“I thanked him and his partner Catherine for all they do and his wife is the greatest promoter of hats in the world.

“I gave him a hat I made for Catherine and he said he will pass it on and for sure she will wear it.”

While he was walking into the market he also stopped to speak to three women holding a sign that said: “Thank you for the visit William”.

Marta Zegarek , 26, said it was a “dream come true” to meet the Prince.

“We’ve been following Prince William, his work, and the Royal family for 13 years so it’s a kind of a dream come true.”

The three women, who bonded over their shared love of the Royal family, travelled three hours by train from the south of Poland to see William in Warsaw on Thursday.

Marta said that he asked them what they were doing here and whether they were students.

She added: “He was really appreciative that we were here.

“He was very handsome, he was very kind, very nice and very interested in why we were here.”

She also said they had been in Warsaw in 2017 when the then Duke and Duchess of Cambridge visited, but that they weren’t able to shake hands with him due to it being overcrowded.

Olga Mieszejewska-Buchalik , 26, added: “I also said that we really appreciated his support for  our nation and for Ukraine.”