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Since they said goodbye to their role as senior members of the British Royal Family four years ago, the Dukes of Sussex They tried, with varying degrees of success, different ventures, relaunched their website and gave new impetus to their Archewell Foundation, determined to continue with the different causes they embrace. After a 2023 to forget, it seems that this year they found a new resource to position themselves as the leaders they want to be: “tailor-made” international visits in which they can touch on the topics that keep them awake at night. Invited by France MarquezColombia’s vice president and minister for equality, embarked on a four-day tour of Bogotá, Cartagena and Cali last Thursday, where they participated in conferences on cyberbullying, online exploitation and their impact on mental health.
“I met Harry and Meghan through the media, but above all I saw the Netflix series about their life and it moved me. She is a woman who deserves to come to our country and telling her story will strengthen many women in the world,” said the vice president. This new international experience of the Sussexes, which The Telegraph called “do it yourself tours” (the first was in May, when they visited Nigeria), is reminiscent of official visits in terms of the treatment they receive, the publicity they are given and the ceremonies in which they participate, but it has the advantage that they only touch on those topics that interest them.
As if they were heads of state, they arrived by car and in the middle of a spectacular operation (it was a caravan of twelve vehicles) to the historic Cartagena de Indias on Saturday, where they visited a music training center and the students of the Escuela Taller Tambores de Cabildo de la Boquilla performed for them. Smiling and ignoring the thermometer that marked more than 30 degrees, the Sussexes played the timpani and gave themselves over to the festive rhythm while armed soldiers from the Colombian Infantry and Navy, and some 250 agents and private escorts kept a close eye on them.
According to media reports, Mayor Dumek Turbay had already announced special security measures, such as sealing off the city, deploying three thousand police officers at strategic points, and a defense unit ready for a possible nuclear, chemical or bacteriological attack. That same day they went to San Basilio de Palenque, an hour away, and visited the Casa Cultura and the Benkos Biohó plaza to connect with Colombia’s African roots. “We understand very well the importance and meaning of this town. It was clear to us what it represents for Colombia and for the world,” said Meghan. Prince Harry, meanwhile, said: “It feels like I know the whole country. What we are seeing here is a community, do not forget that you are stronger together, united with each other.”
On Sunday, in Cali, Meghan was the star of the show at the Municipal Theater, where the Afro Women and Power forum was held. In perfect Spanish, Meghan’s daughter-in-law Carlos III She said: “My husband and I are in this country, and I can feel this embrace from Colombia which is incredible, so thank you very much. The culture, the history… everything was like a dream on this trip. Forgive me if my Spanish is not perfect, I learned it twenty years ago in Argentina.” Later, they attended a music festival and met with local youth.
Just as she learned during her time at the palace, Meghan took note of local designers and included them in her engagements, which meant she changed three times a day. Always maintaining her chic style, Meg added pieces by Johanna Ortiz, Andrés Otalora, Silvia Tcherassi and Juan de Dios, and turned to local artisans for her accessories. Of course, the artisanal aspect did not take away from the jewelry, such as some gold butterfly earrings and a necklace that belonged to her mother-in-law, who is undoubtedly one of her great role models.
Conocé The Trust Project