Prince Harry and Meghan Markle 's four-day Colombian tour has officially begun , and it's already filled with memorable moments.
The couple landed in the country today, where they were welcomed by Vice-President Francia Marquez . They visited a school, enjoyed a musical performance at an arts centre in Bogota, and finally attended an internet safety summit.
The Sussexes are accompanied by a full security detail throughout their visit, alongside Ms. Marquez, who invited them to Colombia for what is being referred to as a DIY Royal tour.
This seemingly-royal tour, bearing many resemblances to an official Royal overseas visit, marks the Sussexes' second this year, following their three-day trip to Nigeria at the invitation of the West African nation's chief of defence staff. And it appears there were several explosive revelations on the first day of their South American journey....
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READ MORE: Wary' Prince Harry and Meghan Markle begin Colombia tour with tight security amid safety concerns
Controversial Netflix show led to visit
Before Harry and Meghan arrived for their first engagement in Colombia on Thursday, Vice President Marquez held a press conference. She explained that she was inspired to invite Harry and Meghan to the country after watching their Netflix docu-series, where they criticized their treatment during their time in the Royal Family.
"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," Ms. Marquez said.
The Sussexes' headline-grabbing six-part Netflix documentary, released just three months following the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. The series exposed their tumultuous ties with the Royal Family and the challenges that prompted their dramatic exit from Royal duties. Ms. Marquez hailed the Sussexes' visit as a "very special visit" with the goal of fostering connections and collaborating to combat cyber-bullying, digital violence, discrimination, and to support women's leadership in Colombia.
Princess Diana's intended visit
In a surprising revelation at the press conference, it was disclosed that Harry's beloved mother, Princess Diana, had intended to travel to Colombia shortly before her tragic death in 1997.
Harry frequently invokes his mother's memory during his speeches, and the vice president remarked: "I think that Prince Harry being here today after that dream of his mum's of visiting this country is an opportunity to show the best of our nation, to show who Colombians are. We are people who in the midst of adversities do everything possible to give the best of ourselves."
Harry 'complicated feelings' amidst security arrangements
Harry and Meghan's journey to Colombia is marked by heightened security, coinciding with Harry's ongoing legal battle in the UK over his entitlement to police protection during his visits back home.
The couple's visit to a local children's school, Colegio Cultura Popular, in Bogota was under strict security. The school tour and informational session were led by the institution's head, Leonel Umana Parra, and student Jose David.
The perimeter was lined with heavily-armed soldiers, while armed police, motorbike officers, and suited security guards were also on site. Body language expert Judi James analyzed photos of the couple arriving in Colombia, suggesting that Harry's expression indicates hesitance and complex emotions about the trip.
"Harry walks ahead in less of a performative mode," she explained. "He forms a polite smile but his expression is a little more tempered and complex. His eye expression looks almost wary which could be natural given that he is a Royal without the kind of protocols and even safety nets the Firm will have when they are on proper Royal tours.
Meghan's captivating looks on tour
On the first day of the tour, Meghan displayed several distinct looks from her tour wardrobe. Upon landing in the South American capital Bogota, the Duchess of Sussex looked stylish in what is described as a navy 'summer suit' by one of her favourite designers Veronica Beard.
Meghan Markle was dressed to impress in a business-like ensemble that included a sleeveless jacket cinched at the waist and ankle-skimming cigarette trousers. Available in both navy and red, the top is priced at £596 and is described on the Veronica Beard website as a "'fashion-forward take on the vest".
It features a "collared halter silhouette with tortoise shell buttons down the center and on the pockets for decorative touches. " The matching trousers are priced at £350. Meghan completed her look with a £3,650 white Loro Piana handbag and appeared to be wearing her £15,000 Lorraine Schwartz "Against Evil Eye" bracelet.
Later, she switched to a more relaxed style, donning a pink patterned dress by Colombian designer Johanne Ortiz and styling her loosely curled hair over her toned shoulders as she and Harry watched a dance performance.
Notorious necklace on display
However, it wasn't just Meghan's fashion choices that caught attention- Harry's did too. He proudly displayed a necklace that reportedly became a casualty of his feud with his brother, Prince William. Fans were quick to notice that the prince had chosen to wear the necklace he claimed his brother broke during a heated argument.
In his book "Spare," the Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, made shocking allegations about a physical altercation with his brother, now known as the Prince of Wales. He claimed that in 2019, his brother wrestled him to the ground, breaking his necklace during the scuffle. The incident was so intense that Harry had to call his therapist afterward. He described being knocked to the floor, his shirt "ripped," and his necklace "broken". He shared that this argument felt different from their previous disagreements.
Fast forward to January 2023, when Harry appeared on The Late Show in the US. Host Stephen Colbert, 58, probed him about the infamous fight, specifically asking about the broken necklace. Colbert asked: "There is a lot of talk about the physical fight that the two of you had, where he pushed you down in the kitchen and broke the dog bowl, when you fell on it. It says it broke your necklace. What necklace was it that he broke?"
Harry responded by saying, "This one. Which is now fixed." He then lifted his necklace, adorned with three pendants, for the audience to see.
'Barrier gesture'
During their first engagement of the day, Harry and Meghan spent approximately half an hour at the vice president's residence. They exchanged welcome gifts and enjoyed tea, coffee, and traditional pandebono Colombian cheese bread.
As they posed for a group photo, Body Language expert Judi James noticed something interesting about Harry's stance. It bore a striking resemblance to his brother William's signature pose - a similarity not often seen in Harry before.Judi observed: "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.
"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."
Harry's real feelings
Following their visit to the school, the Sussexes were seen enjoying a music and dance group performance outside Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts. They were spotted chatting and applauding along with the rest of the guests before posing for pictures. However, it was during this show that body language expert Judi James believes Harry revealed his true discomfort.
She told The Mirror: "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.
"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," Judi added.
Meghan's instruction
After their first official outing, Harry and Meghan popped into a local school where they were seen holding hands as they exited the vice president's quarters, and a lip reader has since revealed what seemed to be a succinct command from Meghan.
Lip reading expert Nicola Hickling reported that Meghan appeared to issue a subtle directive to Harry, whispering "hand", to which Harry responded promptly with "Here you go."
Later on, the couple dropped by the Colegio Cultura Popular in Bogota, where they were shown around by the school's director, Leonel Umana Parra, and student Jose David.
Amidst visiting the educational establishment, Prince Harry attempted to charm the audience by counting in Spanish and conversed about his children Archie, aged five, and three year old Lilibet, stating, "I have young children and they're not on social media," according to Ms. Hickling.
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