Prince William visits refugees and British soldiers in Poland

Prince William met with some Ukrainian refugees in Poland

The Prince of Wales has travelled to Poland to meet British troops and Ukrainian refugees there.

He was asked to visit the country by the UK government, but said also wanted to express his support for the Ukrainian and Polish people in person.

Prince William said, "I'm here because I want to personally thank the Polish and British troops working in close and crucial partnership.

He added: "I also want to pay tribute to the inspiring humanity of the Polish people. You have opened your hearts as much as your homes."

Poland is a strong ally of Ukraine one of the largest suppliers of military equipment to the country.

Many Ukrainian people fled there after Russian invaded their country in February 2022, as Poland and Ukraine share a border.

More than half a million people fled to Poland during the first few weeks of the war, as well as travelling to other neighbouring countries.

The Prince thanked British troops in Poland for their support

As part of his two-day trip to the country, the Prince will also meet the Polish President Andrzej Duda at the Presidential Palace and lay a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a monument dedicated to Polish soldiers.

The Prince expressed his thanks to British soldiers who were stationed at Rzeszow - a military base near to the Ukrainian border, which provides support to the country, telling them: "Thank you for all you are doing out here."

He said he wanted to thank them in person for "keeping everyone safe" and "keeping an eye on what's going on".

He added: "You're doing a really important job out here and defending our freedoms is really important, and everyone back home thoroughly supports you."

He played a table tennis match during his visit to a centre for refugees

The Prince's visit to the military base was kept secret for security reasons until he had safely arrived in the capital city, Warsaw.

There he visited a Ukrainian refugee centre and met some of the 300 women and children who have been staying there.