Harry and Meghan with artists in Bogota (Image: Getty)
Prince Harry And Meghan Marklethe controversial four-day event Colombian The tour has started and the first day is already full of drama.
The Sussexes landed in Colombia today, where they were welcomed by Vice President Francia Marquez. Their itinerary included a visit to a school, a musical performance at an arts centre in Bogota and an internet safety summit.
During their visit, the couple are accompanied by a full security team and Mrs. Marquez, who invited them on what is being called a DIY royal tour.
The quasi-royal tour, which bears many similarities to an official royal visit abroad, marks the Sussexes' second this year, following their three-day trip to Nigeria at the request of the West African nation's chief of staff. The first day of their trip to South America has already yielded several shocking revelations….
Harry and Meghan with the Vice President and her husband (Image: Eric Charbonneau for Archewell.)
Netflix show brings in visitors
Ahead of Harry and Meghan's first engagement in Colombia on Thursday, Vice President Marquez held a press conference. She revealed that she was inspired to invite the couple to the country after they announced their Netflix docuseries in which they criticized the way they were treated during their time within the royal family.
“I saw the Netflix “I had a series about their lives and their story, and that touched me and motivated me to say that this is a woman who deserves to come to our country and tell her story. Her exchange will undoubtedly be an empowerment for so many women in the world,” said Ms. Marquez.
Meghan and Harry arrive for a musical performance in Bogota (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
The Sussexes' controversial six-part book Netflix The show, which aired just three months after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, laid bare their troubled relationship with the royal family and the struggles that led to their decision to step away from the working monarchy. Ms Marquez described the Sussexes' trip as a “very special visit” aimed at building bridges and joining forces against cyberbullying and online digital violence and discrimination, and promoting female leadership in Colombia.
Little Known Fact About Princess Diana
Meanwhile, it was also revealed during the press conference that Harry's late mother, Princess Diana, had planned to visit Colombia shortly before she died in 1997.
Harry often refers to his mother during his public appearances and the vice president said: “I think Prince Harry Being here today after that dream of his mother to visit this country is an opportunity to show the best of our country, to show who Colombians are. We are people who, in the midst of adversity, do everything to give the best of ourselves.”
Meghan wore a dress by a Colombian designer (Image: CARLOS ORTEGA/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)
Harry 'regrets' security measures
Prince Harry And Meghan MarkleHarry's visit to Colombia has been marked by heightened security measures, coinciding with Harry's ongoing legal battle in the UK over his right to police protection during visits to his home country. The couple's visit to the local school, Colegio Cultura Popular, in Bogota was held amid tight security.
Heavily armed soldiers guarded the area, accompanied by armed police officers, motorcycle cops and security personnel in suits. Body language expert Judi analyzed photos of the couple arriving in Colombia. They found that Harry's facial expression conveyed a sense of hesitation, suggesting complex emotions about the journey.
Harry walks forward in a less performative mode,” she noted. “He forms a polite smile, but his expression is a little more subdued and complex. His eye expression seems almost wary, which could be natural since he is a Royal without the kind of protocols and even safety nets that the Firm will have when they are on real Royal tours.”
Harry and Meghan pose with the artists at an art centre in Bogota (Image: Getty Images)
Meghan's Glamorous Tour Wardrobe
The Duchess of Sussex showed off several eye-catching looks, including a chic navy 'summer suit' by one of her favourite designers, Veronica Beard, as she arrived in the South American capital, Bogota.
Meghan looked business-ready in a chic ensemble of a sleeveless jacket, fitted at the waist, and ankle-length cigarette pants. Both items are available in navy and red from Veronica Beard.
The top, which retails for £596, is described on the brand's website as a “fashionable take on the cardigan”, featuring a “halter silhouette with a collar” and tortoiseshell buttons for a decorative touch.
The matching trousers cost £350. Meghan completed her look with a £3,650 white Loro Piana handbag and what appeared to be her £15,000 Lorraine Schwartz “Against Evil Eye” bracelet. She later switched to a more relaxed style in a pink patterned dress by Colombian designer Johanne Ortiz. She wore her hair loosely curled over her muscular shoulders as she and Harry enjoyed a dance routine.
Infamous necklace on display
But it wasn't just Meghan's fashion choices that drew attention – Prince Harry's did that too. He proudly showed off a necklace that was reportedly the victim of his feud with brother Prince WilliamAttentive fans noticed that the prince had chosen to wear the necklace that he claimed his brother had damaged during a heated argument.
In his book 'Spare', the Duke of Sussex made shocking claims about a physical confrontation with his brother, now the Prince of Wales, in 2019. He claimed the prince had tackled him to the ground, resulting in his chain breaking. Harry recalled the incident as being different to their previous disagreements, with his shirt “torn” and chain “broken”. He also said he called his therapist after the row.
Fast forward to January 2023, when Harry appeared on The Late Show in the US. Host Stephen Colbert, 58, quizzed him about the infamous necklace. He asked: “There's a lot of talk about the physical altercation you two had, where he pushed you over in the kitchen and broke the dog bowl when you fell on it. It says your necklace broke. Which necklace was it that he broke?”
Prince Harry waves to the crowd in Bogota (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Harry replied, “This one. The one that's been repaired now.” He then lifted the chain, adorned with three pendants, up for the audience to see.
'Barrier gesture'
Harry and Meghan began their day with a visit to the Vice President's residence, where they spent about half an hour, exchanging gifts and enjoying tea, coffee and traditional pandebono, a Colombian cheese bread.
As they posed for a group photo, body language expert Judi James observed Harry's posture. She noted that it resembled his brother William's signature pose — something Harry hasn't seen much of before.
Judi commented: “Harry's pose here almost seems like a nod to his brother William, as he strikes his trademark 'fig leaf' pose with his hands clasped in front of his lower body. It's a status-deflating pose that can suggest a bit of shyness, but it's not normally in Harry's repertoire.
Harry and Meghan on the first day of their Colombia tour (Image: AFP via Getty Images)
It seems he doesn't want to assume royal status in these first poses, hence the barrier gesture, while Meghan exudes more confidence with her arms straight at her sides.
Harry's true feelings
Following their visit to the school, the Sussexes were seen tapping their feet and laughing to the beat of the music as they watched a performance by a music and dance group outside the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts. The couple were spotted engaging in conversation as they applauded the performers along with other guests in attendance before posing for photographs with them.
Body language expert Judi James believes Harry showed his true discomfort during this performance. She told The Mirror: “Despite his lifelong commitment to royal behaviour, it was Meghan who managed to put on a perfect royal smile during this performance, while Harry's facial expressions and body language fluctuated.
At times he would smile actively and chat with lively gestures, but there were also “flare-ups” like this, when his smile would disappear and his expression would look almost somber compared to his wife's. “”As he watched, there was much tugging and fiddling at his clothes and some shuffling of his feet to suggest discomfort or anxiety, while Meghan, beside him, maintained an elegant posture that did not waver.
The couple arrives in Bogota on Thursday (Image: ERIC CHARBONNEAU FOR ARCHEWELL)
Meghan's Command
After their first engagement, Harry and Meghan attended a school and were captured on camera leaving the Vice President's office hand-in-hand.
From the footage, a lip reader has uncovered an exchange between the pair in which Meghan gave her husband a direct order, revealing a subtly commanding exchange between the Sussexes following their first official event. Professional lip reader Nicola Hickling, captured holding hands as they left, saw Meghan give a discreet order to Prince Harry.
With a simple “hand,” Harry promptly responded, extending his hand with a “Here you have it.”
During their visit to the Colegio Cultura Popular in Bogota, the royal couple met Leonel Umana Parra, the head of the institution, and Jose David, one of the students.
“At school, Prince Harry delighted the crowd by attempting to count in Spanish and talking about his young children, Archie and Lilibet, noting that they are kept off social media. “I have young children and they are not on social media,” Harry noted, Ms. Hickling reports.