The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were invited to tour Colombia after its vice-president watched their Netflix documentary and was “deeply moved” by their story.
Francia Marquez, the first black woman to be elected as vice-president of the South American country, said she had watched their streamed six-part documentary and thought a visit from Meghan would “strengthen so many women around the world”.
On Thursday, as the Duke and Duchess began their four-day trip, they were formally welcomed by Ms Marquez and Rafael Yerney Pinillo, her partner, at the vice-president’s residence.
They exchanged gifts over coffee, tea, and traditional pan de bono (Colombian cheese bread), and Ms Marquez is said to have “expressed her gratitude” for the couple’s official visit and told them they share the same ideals and goals when it came to championing a safer digital future for all.
In her opening statement to the Colombian media, Ms Marquez said: “Colombia, the country of beauty, is hosting a very special visit. Starting today, we will welcome Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
“This is their first visit to Latin America. The purpose of their visit is to build bridges and open doors that will allow us to join forces in raising awareness and addressing a global issue that concerns us all: cyber-bullying in digital environments and discrimination, which pose a risk to everyone’s mental health worldwide.
Ms Marquez continued: “Undoubtedly, this partnership will help us advance in protecting and ensuring the rights of children and adolescents.
“It also aims to promote the leadership of women in Colombia and around the world. This visit was made possible thanks to an invitation we extended to Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, last year.
“From today until Sunday, we will be visiting Bogota, Cartagena and Cali, where we will meet with young people, women, social leaders, and communities.
“During this visit, we will exchange experiences about what Colombia is doing to prevent cyber-bullying and violence on social media.
“We will also learn about educational processes that are being recognised globally for protecting and guaranteeing the rights of children and youth, as well as cultural exchanges with young people who are contributing to our nation’s peace through art and culture.
“Additionally, we will have a delightful meeting with the Colombian team participating in the Invictus Games for veterans and war victims, which was created 10 years ago by Prince Harry. Colombia is the only Latin American country participating in these games.
“We are preparing for the upcoming competitions, which will be held in February 2025 in Canada. We thank the Duke and Duchess for their visit to our country”.
The couple later visited a local school, Colegio Cultura Popular, where the Duchess urged pupils to ensure they were “self-reliant and not tech-reliant”.
They joined one class for an “insight session” during which the children discussed their favourite and least favourite parts of social media, technology and navigating life on the internet.
Meghan described the group as incredibly “impressive, smart and savvy” while Harry asked the students how they talked about managing social media at home with their families.
The Duchess revealed that their Archewell Foundation had researched the differences in social media use across the world and that globally, the average person checks their social media profiles 42 times a day, but in Latin America, the average is 67 times per day.
Each student shared personal stories about how social media affected their lives both positively and negatively.
Later, the couple, who were accompanied by Ms Marquez, joined students during break time and were greeted by excited screams.
Meghan wore the navy Arte Pant suit by Veronica Beard, which is currently on sale for $448 (£348).
The couple changed outfits to enjoy theatre, music and dance performances at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts in Bogota.
They stood to clap along to the music while Harry swayed his hips and appeared to be asking questions about the elaborate, colourful costumes.
The Duke later shook hands with various performers, telling them their outfits were “amazing” before the pair posed for selfies and group photos.
Asked earlier at a press conference how the invitation to Colombia had come about, Ms Marquez said: “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.
“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.”
She suggested that she and the Duchess had experienced similar racist abuse during their time in public life.
Ms Marquez originally invited the Duchess to participate in events for a “Day of Afro-descendant Women” last year.
“At that time, we sent her an invitation letter, and she responded saying that she couldn’t come but was very eager to visit and get to know our country,” she said.
“Since then, we have been working for a year to make this important visit happen, and that’s how it came about.”
The Netflix show, called Harry and Meghan and aired in 2022, detailed the Sussexes’ exit from the Royal family.
It included criticism of the Commonwealth, with one contributor calling it “Empire 2.0” and another saying the organisation had “not changed a thing [since colonial days], they’ve just got better PR”.
The documentary included interviews with Harry, Meghan, her mother Doria and friends who painted an unhappy picture of their time in the Royal family, battles with the tabloid press, and revelations about the Duchess’ suicidal thoughts and miscarriage.
Ms Marquez was also asked about the significance of Diana, Princess of Wales being scheduled to visit Colombia before she died in 1997.
“I think the world witnessed the story of Diana,” she replied. “The world saw the story of harassment and how painful it must have been for her and for many women around the world who sometimes find themselves in similar situations or occupy certain positions.
“I believe that having Prince Harry here today, following his mother’s dream of visiting this country, is a great opportunity to showcase the best of our nation, to show who we Colombians are.
“People who, despite adversities, do their best to give the best of themselves. I think it’s a tremendous opportunity for Colombia to highlight what we are as a nation.”
The Duke and Duchess’ trip is focused on the topic of digital technology and the safety of children online.
As well as visiting schools, they are also expected to travel to San Basilio de Palenque, the first “free town” in South America founded by escaped slaves, and a music festival set up to celebrate Afro-Colombian culture.
The Duchess will attend an “Afro Women and Power” discussion.
Ms Marquez is a leading voice in calling for slavery reparations from European states, with Caribbean, South American and African campaigners working together to bring about compensation to overcome what they argue are the negative effects of colonialism to the present day.
The Colombian government has committed to a programme to “repair the historical debt owed to the Afro-descendant, black, Raizal and Palenquero peoples, victims of the slave trade, enslavement and structural racism”, with a national commission on reparations.
The area was part of the Spanish Empire rather than the British.
