Ukrainian chef Yevhen Klopotenko prepared traditional Ukrainian dishes for Prince Harry during his recent visit to Ukraine, drawing inspiration from Princess Diana’s documented love for borsch.

Klopotenko wrote on social media that when he learned of Prince Harry’s arrival in Ukraine, he “immediately thought: he must taste what his mother loved.” The chef referenced a story about an English woman who once wrote to the palace asking about Princess Diana’s favorite dish.

“The answer was simple — borshch soup. A bit adapted, but the essence remains,” Klopotenko said.

According to foreign media reports from 2022, a charitable organization for elderly homes in Johannesburg, South Africa, contacted celebrities in 1981 requesting favorite recipes for a new cookbook. Among the responses discovered years later was a letter from Princess Diana confirming her love for borsch.

Working with the restaurant “100 Years Forward,” Klopotenko prepared borsch, buckwheat porridge, vereshchaka, and syrnyky for the prince. He took all the dishes with him on the train and gave Prince Harry his phone number, asking him to “write to me when you cook it.”

“Because Ukrainian food is not just about satiation. It’s about us, about roots and even about royal families,” Klopotenko wrote.

Prince Harry arrived in Kyiv on 12 September at the invitation of the Ukrainian government. The visit aimed to support thousands of servicemen who suffered serious injuries during the Russian-Ukrainian war. This marked his second visit to Ukraine, following an April trip to Superhumans in Lviv with an Invictus Games delegation.

During the current visit, the delegation met with over 250 veterans and Invictus Games participants. The Invictus Games, founded by Prince Harry, have demonstrated in various countries that sport serves as a powerful tool for veteran rehabilitation and reintegration.

After meeting with veterans, Prince Harry visited the memorial for fallen soldiers on Independence Square and a residential building destroyed during a recent attack on the capital.

“Thank you, Ukraine, for showing the world who you really are. This is extremely powerful, and the world will always stand with Ukraine,” Prince Harry said.

Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko showed the Prince damage to the Cabinet of Ministers building in Kyiv from Russian attacks. Prince Harry also witnessed destruction of civilian buildings and memorial sites honoring heroes.