A source has said there is embarassment from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle over some of the backlash to their Colombia tour, which received plenty of praise from officials
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been left “embarrassed” by the reaction to their tour of Colombia, according to reports.
The Sussexes embarked on a four-day trip of the South American country this month and received plenty of praise and positive reactions. One source quoted by OK! said Meghan and Harry are “keen to [do] more of these tours as that’s what they love doing and what they enjoyed most about royal life” but were “embarrassed” by some of the backlash they received.
The source told OK!: “They’ve been left embarrassed by this latest backlash, especially as they faced similar comments when they went to Nigeria. They want to help raise awareness to the issues some of these countries face and they know their profile can highlight that. They also know that these trips help elevate their status in Hollywood and in turn help their brand. They don’t want to stop doing them but are unsure of what to do next to win everyone over again.”
Onlookers also questioned if Harry and Meghan are trying to do their own “royal visits” after quitting the Royal Family four years ago.
Colombian official Andres Escobar lashed out at the Duke and Duchess claiming the country’s vice president Francia Marquez wanted to invite them because “she saw them on Netflix”. He slammed supposed costs for the royal couple’s security, with some critics saying it cost Colombia £1.5 million.
“There are many, many Colombians who are hungry and have a lack of basic needs,” he claimed. “They invested this money because the Vice President wanted to meet two high profile public figures and brush aside criticism and problems that we have here. We are in an economic crisis and eight billion pesos have been spent for the visit of Harry and Meghan, Colombian military planes and helicopters have been used and the money could have been better spent.”
The Colombian Ministry of Equality and Equity, spearheaded by Vice-President Francia Marquez, has been singing praises about the visit, calling it a “success”. El Pais also reported that the Ministry confirmed the Sussexes covered their own travel expenses. A spokesperson from the Ministry revealed: “The Duke and Duchess of Sussex financed their trip and that of their team with their own resources.”
While Harry and Meghan’s personal engagements in Colombia were apparently “co-financed”, it’s understood that international agencies chipped in to help with the costs.
The Ministry highlighted the visit as an opportunity for Colombians to connect with the Archewell Foundation, the charitable organization founded by Harry and Meghan. They also expressed hopes that the visit would showcase Colombia as a prime spot for both business ventures and tourism.
The spokesman added: “It was a very productive visit that allowed connections to be established between the populations and the Archewell Foundation – created and led by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex – to promote programmes aimed at the economic autonomy of women, the prevention of violence in digital environments for girls, boys and young people, and support for leaders who build peace through art and culture.”
The Spanish newspaper El Pais reported that although the Colombian government didn’t pick up the tab for much of the trip, there are claims that some elements did benefit from state support. Certain travel expenses allegedly received backing from the administration of President Gustavo Petro and meals may have been included as part of the official package.
Furthermore, the publication suggests that the Afro Women and Power Forum enjoyed patronage through national government funding.
The OK! source continued by saying the Sussexes are “used to criticism and backlash” and will “support each other” no matter what.
But a royal source also claimed Harry is at a crossroads as he approached his 40th birthday. They said: “As he approaches 40, Harry has quite understandably been thinking about the past and it does upset him that he doesn’t really see any of his family and all of his friends he grew up.”
They added: “He would never change the life he’s got with Meghan and the kids for anything but at times he feels quite isolated and he always thought he would celebrate his 40th surrounded by lots of friends and family. He feels sad about everything that has happened but he knows nothing will change before then.”