The Sussexes are experiencing the “rich heritage of Colombia” on their tour

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex began their four-day working visit to Colombia with tea and coffee with Vice President Francia Márquez and her partner, Rafael Yerney Pinillo. 

They then played with local schoolchildren and watched several Colombian artists perform.

During their meeting with Ms. Márquez, Prince Harry and Meghan exchanged welcome gifts. 

The Duchess, 43, was warmly greeted by Ms. Márquez, who expressed that she and the Sussexes share the same ideals and goals in promoting a better digital future and mental health for children and the world.

At the breakfast meeting they were seen tucking into traditional pan de bono (Colombian cheese bread), and their first port of call was at a local children’s school, the Colegio Cultura Popular, where they participated in an Insight Session, speaking with students about the digital landscape and its effects on society.

As revealed by Alejandro Eder, the mayor of Cali, Harry and Meghan are also expected to attend the Petronio Álvarez Festival in the city, over the coming days. 

Key themes of the trip will be female empowerment, the military community, and the importance of mental health and digital literacy for today’s youth.

Take a look at the best photos from day one of Harry and Meghan’s tour…

“Special visit”

At a press conference ahead of Harry and Meghan’s arrival, Ms Marquez described the Sussexes’ trip as a “very special visit” aimed at building bridges and joining forces against cyber-bullying.

Ms Márquez, a lawyer and human rights and environmental activist, said she was inspired to ask Harry and Meghan to visit the country after being moved by their Netflix documentary, which was released in December 2022. 

“I saw the Netflix series about their life, their story and that moved me and motivated me to say that this is a woman who deserves to come to our country and tell her story and her exchange will undoubtedly be an empowerment to so many women in the world,” she said.

Time for tea

During the tea, Ms Marquez expressed admiration for Harry’s late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who died in 1997.

HELLO! understands that she first approached the couple to visit more than a year ago.

The Sussexes’ team has not confirmed how the trip is being funded, whether privately, through Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation, by the Colombian government or other means. 

Fashion details

Meghan looked effortlessly chic in a navy halter-neck two-piece by Veronica Beard for her first engagement. 

Meanwhile, Harry donned a navy suit and blue open-collared shirt.

The Vice President also hosted a summit in alliance with The Archewell Foundaiton and Luminate, whuich bought together experts, leaders and activists to discuss the need for a healthier and more ethical online world.

School visit

The Duke and Duchess spent part of their day at the local charter school, Colegio Cultura Popular, where they were greeted by student José David and Leonel Umaña Parra, the school’s headmaster.

Lesson time

Inside, several students shared personal stories about how social media had impacted their lives positively and negatively, and how they want to hold onto real life connections.

The Duchess spoke about research from Archewell which highlighted how people would check their social media on average 42 times a day – in Latin American nations, this was higher at 67 times a day.

Praise for the students

Meghan was incredibly impressed with the students, describing them as “impressive, smart, and savvy”.

Recess!

Students at the school got very excited when the Duke and Duchess joined them at recess, with screams heard across the playground!

The pair were a hit with the locals!

An impressive outing

The next stop for the Duke and Duchess was the Delia Zapata Olivella National Arts Center, where they were greeted by minister Juan David Correa Ulloa and museum director Xiomara Suescún.

Meghan wore a gorgeous Johanna Ortiz dress for the event.

Music and art

During the visit, Harry and Meghan were treated to various cultural pieces. The couple enjoyed a fragment of the play Lose Yourself, directed by actor and playwright Fabio Rubiano.

They also met and listened to Alexis Play, a Chocoano musician, composer and performer, who fuses the musical folklore of this region of the country with rap.

A fitting end

At the conclusion of their visit, the group were treated to the The Hummingbird’s Kiss by the Teatro Danza Pies del Sol company.

Hummingbird’s Kiss

The work was inspired by the ancestral tradition of the Amerindian peoples in which the hummingbird is presented not only as a tribute to the god of the Sun and war, Huitzilopochtli; but also as a channel between the divine and the human, underlining his role as a sacred messenger.

Special greeting

The Duke and Duchess took time to greet and applaud all of the performers, dancers, actors, and crew who were involved with the day’s programming.

Getting into the groove

Harry appeared to really get into the performances, as he smiled and laughed with one of the dancers. 

Dancing Duchess

And Meghan showed off her moves too! 

Harry and Meghan heartily clapped along during the performances. 

PDA moment

There was also a sweet PDA moment between the Sussexes as Meghan leaned into her husband and Harry kissed the top of her head.

Happy couple

And during another tender moment, Meghan giggled and put her hand on her husband’s knee. 

Moving message

For the Duke and Duchess’s final engagement of their first day in Colombia, they participated in a Summit on a Responsible Digital Future.

“With the Archewell Foundation, me and my wife believe that information integrity is a fundamental right,” Prince Harry shared during the discussion. 

“We should model how we want our kids to be raised and for the world in which we raise them,” Duchess Meghan said. “It doesn’t matter where you live. It doesn’t matter who you are. Either you personally or someone you know is a victim to what’s happening online. And that’s something we can actively work on every day to remedy.” 

Outfit change

For their appearance at the forum, Meghan changed into a brown silk shirt by Victoria Beckham with a pair of wide-legged satin trousers by La Ligne, teaming her ensemble with a pair of tan sandals and Birks citrine and diamond drop earrings.

Tackling misinformation online

Harry also spoke about the spread of misinformation online, saying: “What happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets. People are acting on information that isn’t true.”

He added: “It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake.

“In an ideal world those with positions of influence would take more responsibility. We are no longer debating facts.

“For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, harass, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down.”

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Source: The Wall Street Journal