Plans by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle for an unofficial or quasi-royal tour to Colombia in mid-November are drawing heavy criticism. The couple plan on visiting Bogota, Cartagena, and Cali.
The visit to Colombia, nearly 4,000 miles from their home in California, will be their second foreign tour in 2024, following a previous controversial visit to Nigeria earlier in the year that reportedly angered senior royals.
During their stay in Colombia, the Sussexes plan to participate in activities related to cyberbullying and its mental implications at the World Ministerial Conference for the Elimination of Violence Against Children and appear on U.S. TV to discuss their project supporting children affected by online harm.
The couple's visit to Colombia has raised security concerns due to the region's instability, and common occurrences of kidnapping, murder, and exploitation. The U.S. and U.K. governments have issued travel advisories regarding security risks in the country.
Buckingham Palace and royal commentators are not pleased with the news. The couple are no longer senior royals, but the distinction is not made in the visits or expected media coverage.
Prince Harry has a distant relationship with the British royal family since leaving the UK with his wife. He refuses to take Meghan to the U.K. without state-funded security due to fear of attacks. Reports suggest his calls to King Charles have gone unanswered, and he has not seen the monarch since his cancer diagnosis announcement.
The Sussexes were not invited to Balmoral Castle for a royal retreat in Scotland, where the royal family traditionally spends time for outdoor activities.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: Times of India, Yahoo Entertainment, Republic World, Geo News, Sky News Australia, The Blast, The Daily Beast, The Independent, Jang, Pakistan Today, The Mirror, Hindustan Times, GB News, Express, Entrelineas.