In between the dancing and cultural experiences in Colombia, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry sat for some real talk that emphasized the global nature of the issues they’re quickly becoming experts in.
Photo: Getty
We’ve known that Meghan Markle was a proficient Spanish speaker ever since her pre-royal days, when she spoke about her stint working at the US embassy in Buenos Aires. But it wasn’t until this weekend, during her four-day tour of Colombia with Prince Harry, that the public saw those skills at work. At a Sunday panel in Cali, the country’s third largest city, Meghan delivered remarks in Spanish at an event aimed at uplifting the nation’s Afro-Caribbean women.
“Because we are in your country my husband and I can feel this embrace from Colombia—it’s incredible,” she said. “The culture, the history—all of it was a dream— this trip was a dream. I can feel this community and this is the feeling that is the best thing right now.” Later that day, she even served as translator for Harry as the pair spoke to concertgoers at the Petronio Alvarez Pacific Music Festival.
The duchess connected earnestly with a group of regular people in a country other royals might not have been able to visit, at least not in an official capacity, and the scenes were a reminder of what the Windsors are missing now that she and Harry have set up their own court in Santa Barbara. Still, it’s hard to get the images of their days as representatives of Queen Elizabeth II off our minds, and that might be why their recent international travels—including a February trip to Whistler, Canada and a May tour of Nigeria—have felt so familiar.
Photo: Getty
These recent trips were made at the invitation of government officials, but, as the British media is quick to point out, they are not “official royal tours.” Even though there isn’t a cut-and-dry definition of an official tour, it generally refers to the fact that when working royals travel on the public purse, they are often representing the head of state at the request of the Foreign Office. The traditional royal tour is about diplomacy—managing relationships with the heads of other countries.
The Sussexes return to the road in 2024 is a sign of just how much their ambitions have broadened since they left the royal fold. Over the last few years, they have been collecting experiences and making connections on issues that include veteran’s advocacy, mental health, online safety, and women’s empowerment. Now, they are beginning to call attention to just how important those issues are to people around the world. Call it the next step in their plan for world domination—or at least their path to global policy change.
On the Colombia trip, which lasted from August 15 to August 18, Meghan and Harry traveled only as representatives of the work they’ve done themselves. The duke and duchess were invited to the country by the nation’s first Black vice president, Francia Márquez, who explained her reasoning in a press conference soon after the couple’s arrival.
“How did I get to know Meghan and Harry? I first encountered them through the media, and I particularly watched the Netflix series about their lives and their story, which deeply moved me,” she said. “It motivated me to say, ‘This is a woman who deserves to visit our country and share her story,’ and undoubtedly, her visit will strengthen so many women around the world.”
Photo: Getty
The mutual admiration between Márquez and the duchess was on display from their enthusiastic hug during their first meeting, and it was the beginning of a whirlwind tour that took them to three different cities and introduced them to the music, theater, and fashion of the Latin American nation. Last week, they visited two primary schools in Bogotá, where they took part in lessons about digital literacy and emotional wellbeing. During their visit to Colegio La Giralda, they were serenaded by a group of kindergarteners, and Meghan said, in Spanish, “You’re the same age as my son Archie!”
Though playing the drums seems to be something she only does on tour, it’s surprising how similar their activities in Colombia were to the type of events they might attend when they’re closer to home. For the last few years, Meghan and Harry have visited classrooms across the US and the UK, and Meghan has given similar remarks about the importance of female empowerment in cities from Los Angeles to Austin to Abuja, Nigeria.
But the main focus of the trip was connected to their recent Archewell Foundation push to raise awareness about the harms that children might encounter online and provide support to victims. The centerpiece was a panel where they spoke about their work, and it had a similar format and topics to the one they hosted in New York City in October 2023. In his remarks, Harry mentioned the couple’s shared belief that “information integrity is a fundamental right.”
That statement is reminiscent of the conclusions from the 2021 Aspen Institute Panel on Information Disorder, which counted Harry as one of its participants. Cyberbullying and misinformation might have felt like “first world problems” as the internet was in its infacy, but Meghan and Harry’s presence in Colombia underscored the fact that they’ve become increasingly common in all countries, regardless of socioeconomic status.
In November, Colombia is hosting the first ever Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children along with UNICEF and other organizations, and Meghan and Harry’s visit was intended to highlight some of the issues that will be addressed during the summit. In a statement about the 35th anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the human rights organization explained why the time is right for a return to conversations about violence against children. “Global changes, like the rise of digital technology, environmental change, prolonged conflict and mass migration are completely changing childhood,” it read. “Today’s children face new threats to their rights, but they also have new opportunities to realize their rights.”
Over the weekend, The Sunday Times published an in-depth look at Harry’s life and career, with commentary from some of the friends and employees he left behind in the UK who worry that his California lifestyle might not be enough to sate the prince’s ambitions. “What is the purpose of Prince Harry and what is Prince Harry’s purpose?” a former aide told the newspaper. “The work with Invictus is great and fatherhood was the role he most wanted, so perhaps those are enough for him. But everything else is a bit woolly. I always thought he wanted more from life. I can’t help but think he must be wondering, ‘Where do I go from here?’’”
In Colombia, Harry’s answer to that question was on display, and if his former confidants were able to see it up close, maybe they wouldn’t be so confused. In their post-royal work, Meghan and Harry have tried to change up the old royal routine. In May, Afam Onyema, the CEO of GEANCO Foundation who accompanied the couple on their Nigeria trip, told Vanity Fair that their goals are about doing, not just looking.
“I was really touched when they said, it’s not just going to be a speech and a photo op. They want to leave something, leave a legacy,” Onyema said. “That’s very important to them, from my experience with them and their team—leaving a legacy and impact and really helping people in direct, tangible ways.”
Originally published in Vanityfair.com
