William later landed in Warsaw, where he visited a centre housing about 300 recent arrivals from Ukraine, and played table tennis with children.

Britain has been one of the most outspoken supporters of bolstering NATO’s eastern flank in the face of Russia’s aggression. The country sent troops to Poland and the Baltic states and provided more than £2.3 billion ($4.1 billion) of military aid to Ukraine. It also has pledged £220 million in humanitarian assistance.

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But deploying the popular 40-year-old prince, a military veteran who also worked as a civilian air-sea rescue pilot, offers a more personal touch. While British political leaders have visited Poland regularly to trumpet their support for NATO and the Ukrainian cause, a senior royal like William is a symbol of the nation who can thank military personnel for their service without the baggage of party politics.

On Thursday, the prince will lay a wreath at the Polish capital’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which his late grandparents, Queen Elizabeth and her husband Prince Philip, also did in 1996, before a meeting with President Andrzej Duda.

“Tomorrow, as I meet President Duda, I’ll reiterate the profound relationship shared by our two nations and underline my continued support and gratitude to the Polish people,” he said.

The trip is William’s first since he travelled there with his wife Kate in 2017.

Reuters, AP

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