Security-conscious Harry and Meghan are to undertake another quasi ‘royal tour’ – this time to crime-ridden Colombia.
The prince continues his fight through the British courts for official police protection, claiming it is unsafe to bring his family to his country of birth.
But following a trip to Nigeria this year, the Sussexes will travel to South America this month.
Colombia’s vice-president, Francia Marquez, yesterday revealed the couple would visit Bogota, as well as the regions of Cartagena and Cali, to ‘engage with leaders, youths and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians committed to progress’.
The visit is tied in with a conference in November on ending violence against children and both the duke and duchess, as well as their Archewell Foundation, will ‘engage in several activities related to this important topic’.
Following a trip to Nigeria this year, the Sussexes (Pictured in Nigeria in May) will travel to South America this month
The visit is tied in with a conference in November on ending violence against children and both the duke and duchess will ‘engage in several activities related to this important topic’
However, many may see no small degree of irony in the couple visiting Colombia so soon after their trip to equally troubled Lagos in light of Harry’s court case over the withdrawal of his Metropolitan Police protection.
Both countries are deemed to have a ‘high threat’ of terrorist attack and kidnap for ransom, particularly affecting ‘UK interests and British nationals’, according to the Foreign Office.
The couple also plan to appear on US television this weekend, just days after ‘friends’ publicly complained that Harry’s calls to King Charles go ‘unanswered’.
While the Royal Family had hoped to head off for some peaceful summer downtime in Scotland, particularly after the cancer diagnoses of the King and Princess of Wales, the Sussexes seem to be deliberately ramping up their public profile.
They will star on prime-time breakfast show Sunday Morning on CBS this weekend, talking about the issue of online harm.
In a clip to promote the interview, the couple are shown talking about their own children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, with Meghan saying: ‘Our kids are young, they are three and five. They’re amazing.
‘But all you want to do as parents is protect them and so as we can see what’s happening in the online space, we know there’s a lot of work to be done there and we are just happy to be able to part of change for good.’
Harry added: ‘At this point, we have got to the stage where almost every parent needs to be a first responder. And even the best first responders in the world wouldn’t be able to tell the signs of possible suicide. That is the terrifying piece of this.’
It is their first joint television interview since their controversial Netflix documentary of 2022 in which they again aired a slew of vitriolic accusations against the prince’s family.
And it comes after ‘friends’, ‘multiple well-placed insiders’ and ‘former employees’ briefed Sussex-friendly People magazine this week about Harry’s relationship with his father and ongoing court battles in the UK.
Colombia’s vice-president, Francia Marquez, yesterday revealed the couple would visit Bogota, as well as the regions of Cartagena and Cali
The prince continues his fight through the British courts for official police protection, claiming it is unsafe to bring his family to his country of birth
Colombia is deemed to have a ‘high threat’ of terrorist attack and kidnap for ransom, particularly affecting ‘UK interests and British nationals’, according to the Foreign Office
The couple also plan to appear on US television this weekend, just days after ‘friends’ publicly complained that Harry’s calls to King Charles go ‘unanswered’
The magazine claimed that Harry firmly believes his father has the power to overturn the decision by Ravec – the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures – to strip him of his round-the-clock Met Police security when he quit royal duties and the UK to live in California in 2020 as he and Meghan pursued lucrative commercial opportunities abroad.
Buckingham Palace declines to comment on security matters but it is understood this belief is ‘wholly and incontrovertibly’ wrong and the monarch has ‘no such power’ to influence Ravec, which operates on behalf of the Government.
The magazine’s sources claim the issue has created an ‘impenetrable wall’ between father and son – at least as far as the prince is concerned. People wrote: ‘Those close to Harry say the monarch no longer takes his son’s calls or answers his letters. ‘He gets ‘unavailable right now,’ says the friend. ‘His calls go unanswered.’
And in what will surely be seen as a thinly veiled and highly inflammatory threat from Team Sussex, the magazine goes on: ‘However, if the matter of security is resolved, ‘it’s ‘swords down’,’ says Harry’s friend, as nothing ‘would give [Harry] more happiness than being able to rekindle his bond with his father.’
The Palace declined to comment yesterday but the Mail revealed more than a year ago that the King’s patience with his younger son had worn thin and he was in no mood to humour him, particularly in his demands that the family owe him and Meghan an apology.
Harry now refuses to bring his wife and children to the UK until the security matter is resolved to his satisfaction, adding to fears that the King may never see his grandchildren again.
But the Mail understands that the Palace is in no mood to dance to Harry’s tune.
One source with knowledge of the Palace’s thinking on the issue said archly: ‘The King has no power to affect the decision [by Ravec].
‘But putting that to one side, it’s worth noting – once again – that it was Harry’s choice to leave Britain and it is his decision to pursue what many might consider to be this frankly hopeless case against the Home Office.
‘It has also not gone unnoticed he is waging it from a country with high levels of gun crime and where even those individuals who are given armed protection are not immune to threat.’
The Sussexes’ press team was contacted for comment.
In February, Harry unanimously lost a High Court challenge against the Government over his security when in the UK.
