The Prince of Wales is currently carrying out a two day official visit to Estonia, where he will meet with UK troops guarding NATO’s boarder with Russia.
William’s visit to the country comes three months after a visit from Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who also visited UK troops on the boarder, and and two months after a visit from his uncle, The Duke of Edinburgh. It also comes in the midst of a potential ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia.
His Royal Highness met the President of Estonia, Alar Karis at the Presidential Office in Tallinn. (Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
Ahead of the visit, a spokesperson for Kensington Palace hailed the visit as an example of William “representing the United Kingdom at the highest level on the global stage”. They continued; “both the Prince and Princess have been strong supporters of the Ukrainian community since the conflict began… This visit to Estonia over the next two days is a continuation of that support and as the situation continues to evolve the prince wanted to see firsthand how Estonia have played an integral part in helping over 60,000 refugees rebuild their lives.”
The Prince spent the first day in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital city. His first stop was to the Presidential Palace, where he met with President Alar Karis. After meeting with a group of schoolchildren, who gave gifts to The Prince for his children, the pair posed for photos on the steps of the building before heading inside.
While inside, The Prince was shown the garden before he signed the guestbook. William then followed the President into the Palace’s Blue Cabinet Room, where the two sat down for some refreshments and a meeting. The President told William that Estonia “really appreciate” the help given to them by British troops. They also spoke of William’s visits to UK troops tomorrow, the strength of the bilateral relationship between Estonia and the UK, and the ongoing war in Ukraine.
After half an hour, The Prince thanked the President for the hospitality shown to him, and for the opportunity to visit the country. He then left, saying goodbye to the waiting children as he got into his car.
A brilliant visit to Tallinn’s Freedom School where resilience and hope are nurtured every day. pic.twitter.com/56GzJq4RSx
— The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) March 20, 2025
The Prince’s second visit of the day was to The Freedom School. The School was founded by the Ministry of Education and Research of Estonia in response to the war in Ukraine and the influx of Ukrainian refugees entering the country.
There he met with Ukrainian teachers to hear about their experiences at the school and how they have helped the children to settle in their new home and to look after their mental wellbeing. During the conversation, William was presented with a bracelet in the colours of the Ukrainian flag, which he promptly put on his wrist.
The Prince of Wales during a visit to the Freedom School. (Picture by Andrew Parsons / Kensington Palace)
During his visit, William also joined a Ukrainian language lesson and played a game of basketball with students.
The final visit on day one of the trip was to meet members of the Estonian Cleantech Association at Sunly HQ. William attended a workshop with a number of renewable energy startups and also learned how Estonia, along with the other Baltic States, is helping to usher in a new era of energy security.
In February, Estonia was one of a number of countries which desynchronised from the Russian-controlled electricity grid and joined the European network. This move has allowed them to focus more on renewable energy sources.
Afterwards, The Prince wrapped up against the cold as he went outside to greet members of the public. Some looking well wishers got the chance to take selfies with the future King, with William also receiving a number of gifts for himself and his family.
The trip to Estonia continues tomorrow when William will visit UK Troops on the boarder with Russia.
