LONDON (REUTERS) - Prince Charles, heir to the British throne, on Tuesday (March 1) called Russia's invasion of Ukraine a "brutal aggression," and expressed his solidarity with Ukrainians resisting the attack.

Queen Elizabeth's eldest son made the remarks during a speech commemorating British lawmaker David Amess who was murdered last year. He called that an "attack on democracy, on an open society, on freedom itself" and compared it to events in Ukraine.

"We are seeing those same values under attack today in Ukraine in the most unconscionable way. In the stand we take here, we are in solidarity with all those who are resisting brutal aggression," Charles, 73, said.

Members of the royal family rarely get involved in political matters, adhering instead to the constitutional norm that they should remain neutral.

However on Saturday, Prince William, Charles's son, and his wife Kate said on Saturday they stood with the people of Ukraine as they "bravely fight" the invasion by Russia.

In 2014, Charles caused a diplomatic row when his private remarks that Russian President Vladimir Putin was "doing just about the same as Hitler" became public.

Charles made those comments after Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea province, prompting criticism from the Russian foreign ministry who said the comments were "unacceptable, outrageous" and did not reflect well on the future British monarch.

Follow The Straits Times' live coverage on the Ukraine crisis here.