Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, are set to begin a four-day visit to Colombia on Thursday, following an invitation from Colombia’s Vice-President, Francia Márquez. This highly anticipated visit, announced last month, will see the couple touring Bogotá, Cartagena, and Cali, with a focus on social justice, cultural heritage, and child welfare.
Vice-President Márquez, the first Black woman to hold this office in Colombia, described the visit as an “exceptional opportunity to illuminate Colombia’s role as a beacon of culture and innovation.” However, the trip has not been without controversy. British media outlets quickly criticized the visit as “extremely dangerous,” citing security concerns such as kidnapping, rape, and robbery – everyday threats that could occur in major UK cities like Birmingham, Manchester, or London.
Despite no longer holding formal royal duties, Harry and Meghan have maintained a busy schedule of philanthropic work. Their trip to Colombia will include visits to orphanages, sustainable-agricultural projects and world heritage sites. According to the acerbic Daily Mail, however, the visit also provides Meghan, who recently celebrated her 43rd birthday, an opportunity to showcase her fluency in Spanish—a skill she developed during her time at a private school in Los Angeles and later refined while interning at the U.S. Embassy in Argentina.
The visit has been carefully planned in collaboration with Vice-President Márquez, who extended the invitation to the Duke and Duchess to participate in key events that align with their philanthropic interests. One of the central events is the first World Ministerial Conference for the Elimination of Violence Against Children, scheduled for November in Colombia. This initiative closely aligns with the mission of Archewell, the foundation created by Harry and Meghan, which is dedicated to promoting safer digital environments and supporting vital social causes.
The couple’s tour will begin in Bogotá, where they will arrive on Thursday, August 15. During their stay in the Colombian capital, Harry and Meghan will meet with Vice-President Márquez to participate in events aimed at eradicating violence against children and promoting social equality. Although the detailed itinerary remains confidential for security reasons, the non-royal royals will be given a full red-carpet welcome by the arch anti-monarchists in Casa de Nariño, among them President Gustavo Petro and VP Márquez.
On August 17 Harry and Meghan will travel to Cartagena, where they are scheduled to visit San Basilio de Palenque. This first free-town of escaped black slaves holds significant cultural importance as a symbol of Afro-Colombian heritage. The visit also celebrates the couple’s interest in exploring diverse cultural identities.
The tour will conclude on August 18 in Cali, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to attend the 28th edition of the Pacific Music Festival, Petronio Álvarez. This annual festival is a vibrant celebration of the music, dance, and culture of Colombia’s Pacific region, bringing together artists and communities to showcase their rich traditions. Cali’s Mayor, Alejandro Éder, emphasized the importance of the visit, describing it as a “high-level” event that places the city in the global spotlight. Cali will also host the COP16 biodiversity summit that takes place from October 21 to November 1.
The visit by Harry and Meghan is part of a broader effort by Archewell to foster global dialogue on issues of social justice and child welfare. Throughout their tour, the couple will have opportunities to interact with local leaders, youth, and women who are actively engaged in promoting peacebuilding initiatives. The tour will also allow them to deepen their understanding of Afro-Colombian patrimony and heritage.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s visit to Colombia is more than just a non-royal tour; it is an opportunity for the country to strengthen bilateral ties with the U.K, even though, according to The Sun, the couple “somehow operate as a rival royal family on the global stage, enjoying all the benefits from that regal status but without any need to fulfil their obligations to their King and country.”
The same tabloid then professes that HRH King Charles III is “livid” over the Colombia tour, even though the former Prince of Wales visited in 2014 one of the most remote and breathtaking natural wonders of Colombia – PNN Chiribiquete National Park – at the invitation of former President Juan Manuel Santos, and just two-years before the signing of the final accord with Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and territory considered a stronghold of the guerrilla.
