The Duke and Duchess of Sussex salsa danced, drummed and showed off their Spanish-speaking skills in the South American country
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are looking back at their recent visit to Colombia!
In a new video shared exclusively with PEOPLE on August 23, previously unseen moments from the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s visit to the South American country are unveiled.
Harry, 39, and Meghan, 43, visited Bogotá, Cartagena, and Cali alongside Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez from August 15 through August 19.
The video captures Meghan and Harry immersing themselves in Colombia’s community and culture during their four-day visit, from engaging with locals to showcasing their salsa skills.
PEOPLE can also exclusively reveal that the couple’s Archewell Foundation is announcing three major contributions to support education, culture and community well-being in the areas they visited.
New drumming sets are being donated to Escuela Tambores de Cabildo in Cartagena. This contribution celebrates Afro-Colombian cultural heritage and supports the school’s growing enrollment.
In San Basilio de Palenque, the Foundation will invest in critical needs for the community, which carry such deep historical and cultural significance. The Foundation will help provide local children with a secure environment to explore, learn and connect.
The Archewell Foundation is also supporting the expansion of the socio-emotional Gym program at Colegio La Giralda. This initiative, which promotes emotional resilience, conflict resolution, and peace, highlights the Foundation’s commitment to social-emotional learning and its impact on building stronger communities.
New drumming sets are being donated to Escuela Tambores de Cabildo in Cartagena. This contribution celebrates Afro-Colombian cultural heritage and supports the school’s growing enrollment.
In San Basilio de Palenque, the Foundation will invest in critical needs for the community, which carry such deep historical and cultural significance. The Foundation will help provide local children with a secure environment to explore, learn and connect.
The Archewell Foundation is also supporting the expansion of the socio-emotional Gym program at Colegio La Giralda. This initiative, which promotes emotional resilience, conflict resolution, and peace, highlights the Foundation’s commitment to social-emotional learning and its impact on building stronger communities.
On Aug. 16, the pair’s second day in the country’s capital, the Duchess and Duchess of Sussex visited a local kindergarten class, where they worked on puzzles and displayed their Spanish-speaking skills. Harry asked students their names and ages in the language, while Meghan brought up their 5-year-old son, Prince Archie, telling a student in the language, “You’re the same age as my son, Archie!” (The pair are also parents to a 3-year-old daughter, Princess Lilibet.)
Later in the day, they attended a luncheon hosted by Vice President Márquez and met with Colombia’s Invictus Games athletes, where Prince Harry joined a volleyball game.
Moving to Cartagena on Aug. 17, Prince Harry and Meghan visited Escuela Tambores de Cabildo, a local drum school working to preserve the art form of traditional African drumming.
Founder Rafael Ramos said, “I love seeing Meghan’s big, big smile. I can tell she’s excited!”
They also visited the historic village of San Basilio de Palenque, which was established as the first free African town in the Americas in 1619. There, Meghan expressed she was “so honored” to visit, noting the community’s “incredible history,” while Harry described it as an “incredibly moving experience.”
The couple spent the final day of their trip in Cali, where Meghan took the stage for a panel focused on highlighting and uplifting Afro-Colombian women. There, she removed her earpiece to help with translations and greeted the audience in Spanish, miming wiping sweat from her forehead as she finished her remarks and continued the presentation mainly in English.
At one point during the panel, during which Meghan spoke about how daughter Lili has already “found her voice,” she walked to the side of the stage so she could adjust a fan to face the panelists and cool them down. As she returned to her seat, Meghan said in Spanish, “Women helping women.”
Continuing their visit to the salsa capital of the world, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex displayed their salsa dancing skills during an afternoon at the Unidad Recreativa El Vallado with young people from Cali. Prince Harry twirled Meghan around the dance floor, where the couple shared a quick kiss between moves, and they also took turns dancing with other partners during the event.
Their last appearance came at the Petronio Music Festival in Cali, celebrating Afro-Colombian music and dance. On stage, Meghan told the crowd, “Your country is so beautiful!” and translated her husband’s remarks from English to Spanish for the audience.
In a statement shared on sussex.com, Meghan and Prince Harry expressed “their deepest gratitude to all event organizers, Vice President Francia Márquez and the entire Colombian community for their incredible hospitality and an unforgettable trip.”
The funding of the couple’s trip was the result of a collective effort, according to Vice President Márquez. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex financed their trip and that of their work team with their own resources. The events held in the various places visited were co-financed with international cooperation and philanthropy resources that were added generously to this visit. The Ministry of Equality and Equity and the Vice Presidency guaranteed the technical requirements, mobility and participation of young people, women and communities.
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Source: Los Angeles Times (edited)
