Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are embarking on their second “royal” tour since leaving the royal family. The Sussexes made a trip to Nigeria several months ago, which reportedly left the royals furious – and the possibility is that things won’t be getting better in the coming days.
On Thursday, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex landed in Bogota, Colombia, where they will support initiatives that protect children from online harm. The couple was greeted by Vice President Francia Márquez when arriving, and it didn’t take long before Harry and Meghan made headlines.
While a body language expert claimed Harry looked quite miserable at some points, the couple has been criticized for even embarking on the Colombia journey. One royal expert expressed concern that Harry and Meghan would bring their children on the trip. And just hours before landing in Bogota, another insider questioned if the couple had been honest about the purpose of the trip.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle wanted to live a more private life after leaving the royal family. After a short stint in Canada, they settled in Montecito, California, living in a huge mansion dubbed “Fort Knox.”
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle on “royal” tours
Royal life included engagements all over the country and meeting members of the public practically every day, and perhaps they also didn’t enjoy doing that anymore.
Well, it seems that the Sussexes have at least missed some of it as they have been out on what some have called a “royal tour.” In May, they touched down in Nigeria for a three-day visit, where they promoted causes close to their hearts: the Invictus Games and mental health initiatives.
The three-day private visit to the West African nation appeared to have been a huge success, and the Sussexes were welcomed as royals.
They arrived to a vast crowd, smiling and taking selfies with members of the public, but not everyone was thrilled about them even being there.
Before the three-day visit, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle received hefty criticism as it was considered somewhat of an “unofficial royal tour.” Meanwhile, they were accused of damaging the royal family’s ties to the Commonwealth.
Royal expert Tom Bower suggested that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were playing the “royal card.”
Meanwhile, author Phil Dampier stated that the Nigeria visit seemed “ironic” since the Sussexes had previously criticized the Commonwealth.
“It’s ironic that the late Queen wanted Harry and Meghan to very much be her ambassadors throughout the Commonwealth and spread goodwill among its fifty or so nations, but they didn’t want to do it as royals,” Dampier told the Daily Mail.
“They refuse to accept they are no longer working royals”
“Now they are happy to pick and choose invitations they receive from these countries.” He also suggested the Sussexes are trying “to set up a rival court, their own royal roadshow.”
The royal expert suggested that Prince William and Kate Middleton feared their nightmare had come true.
“William is absolutely furious and determined to find a way to stop this happening in the future. Charles is said to be angrier than anyone has ever seen him,” Quinn told the Mirror, adding that William is upset that the Nigerians “treated Meghan and Harry as if they too thought this was an official tour.”
“It’s as if Harry and Meghan have gone rogue — their Nigeria trip is a bold statement that they refuse to accept they are no longer working royals. William and Charles are scratching their heads and thinking, ‘How are we going to control this nightmare situation?’”
The royal expert concluded that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were welcomed in a way that included all the elements of an official royal visit.
Quinn said the Sussexes’ speeches in the African country “gave the impression that they are still fully paid-up royals.”
“For Charles and William, it’s as if Meghan and Harry are saying, ‘We don’t need your permission to be working royals – we will do it on our own terms whenever and wherever we like,’” Tom Quinn told the Mirror.
Prince Harry & Meghan Markle – visit to Colombia
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle might have made the royals furious over the Nigeria trip. Now, with the trip to Colombia, at least they didn’t visit a Commonwealth country. Even so, the couple has already received a lot of criticism for even traveling to South America.
The trip was arranged after the Sussexes received an invitation from Vice President Francia Márquez, who invited the couple after watching the Netflix series about their lives which aired in 2022.
According to the BBC, Márquez has previously worked extensively on human rights and environmental campaigning, and cyberbullying is the key feature of Harry and Meghan’s visit.
The Sussexes have received a lot of criticism, bullying, and attacks on social media, and now they are campaigning to make the internet safe again.
Just weeks ago, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle launched the Parents’ Network, an initiative whose goal is to provide a safe and free support network for parents whose children experience harm on social media.
“I think, one of the scariest things that we’ve learnt over the course of the last 16, 17 years that social media’s been around, and more so recently, is the fact that it could happen to absolutely anybody,” Harry told CBS.
“We always talk about in the olden days if your kids were under your roof, you knew what they were up to; at least they were safe, right? And now, they could be in the next-door room on a tablet or on a phone and can be going down these rabbit holes. And before you know it, within 24 hours, they could be taking their life.”
“We are no longer debating facts”
On Thursday, Harry and Meghan arrived in Bogota. They spent their first day visiting a school, where they spoke to students about the impact of social media. Later, they also spoke at a summit on digital responsibility, partly arranged by their Archewell Foundation.
“What happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets. People are acting on information that isn’t true,” Harry said.
“It comes down to all of us to be able to spot the true from the fake,” he continued.
“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.”
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also spent time with the vice president. They exchanged welcome gifts and had tea at her residence, and of course, a group photo was taken.
According to body language expert Judi James, there was a fascinating detail about Harry’s stance in the photo. Was he copying his brother?
“Harry’s pose here looks almost like a nod to his brother William as he adopts his signature ‘fig leaf’ pose with the hands clasped in front of the lower torso,” James told the Mirror.
“It’s a status-lowering pose that can suggest some shyness but it’s not normally in Harry’s repertoire. He seems to want to avoid pulling Royal rank in these initial poses, hence the barrier gesture while Meghan signals greater confident with her arms straight down at her sides.”
Prince Harry ‘showed discomfort’ during Colombia trip, expert says
While the Sussexes were spotted enjoying music and a dance performance at the school they visited during their first day in Colombia, body language expert Judi James claimed that Harry showed discomfort.
“Despite his life-long induction into Royal behaviour it was Meghan who managed to sustain a perfect Royal smile at this performance while Harry’s expressions and body language fluctuated. At times, he was actively laughing and chatting using animated gesticulation but there were also ‘flash’ moments like this when his smile dropped and his facial expression looked almost dour in comparison to his wife’s,” James told the Mirror.
She added, “When he sat watching, there was a lot of pulling and fiddling with his clothes and some foot-shuffling to suggest awkwardness or anxiety while Meghan beside him adopted an elegant pose that didn’t waver.”
While battling cyberbullying and making the internet a safer place for children is a great idea, some have criticized Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for making the trip to Colombia in the first place.
Speaking with Express, royal expert and author Robert Jobson claimed locals are asking if the Sussexes are even there to help.
“When Harry and Meghan touched down, it wasn’t just the Colombian sun that made people squint. It was the blinding glare of their celebrity,” Jobson said.
Harry and Meghan criticized over Colombia visit
He questioned whether the Sussexes are a “shiny distraction to keep the people from looking too closely at the cracks in the walls” and asked who is paying for their security, flights, and “luxury accommodations.”
Another royal source spoke to the Daily Mail and raised concerns that Harry and Meghan might be “manipulated” by the new Colombian government.
“I’m sure Meghan and Harry mean well, but everyone here is talking about how obviously they are being manipulated,” the source said, per Sky.
“Of course, their star power will be used to bring attention to poor people and certain areas of culture in Colombia … but the reality is the Colombian government has been drowning in scandal since it came in two years ago.”
“They need something to appease people at home and make them look good abroad.”
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