During their four-day visit to Colombia, there were plenty of images of everything we’ve come to expect from Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex hugged excited school children, met with wounded service personnel from the Invictus Games family, beamed while watching cultural performances and even took part, getting into the rhythm while enjoying a drum lesson.
There were even a few cute references to their children, Prince Archie, 5, and Princess Lilibet, 3, who’d stayed behind in the United States thrown in.
“You’re the same age as my son Archie,” Meghan told one young boy. But there were sinister details too, which showed a hint of the bleak reality the pair face daily.
As they joined school children in Santa Fe to plant a tree, a member of their security detail held up a Kevlar shield to protect the couple from any potential shooter who may want to take aim at them.
The security guard carrying the ballistic briefcase was a constant presence, with The Sun noting he was “seen jumping out of a vehicle ahead of the couple” at each event they attended.
More security officers were pictured scanning the garden’s perimeter at Colegio La Giralda as the Sussexes dug in and mingled with the kids.
These protective measure was just the tip of the iceberg, with the South American nation pulling out all the stops to keep the couple safe.
There were reports of armed officers sweeping each location on the itinerary before the Sussexes arrival, snipers stationed on nearby roofs, drones being deployed and a helicopter following the pair’s every move from the air.
The cost was picked up by the government of Colombia, after vice president Francia Márquez invited the Sussexes on the private visit which commenced on August 24.
The Australian government’s Smarttraveller website urging visitors to Colombia to “exercise a high degree of caution” due to “the threat of violent crime and terrorism”. Its UK equivalent warns against “all but essential travel” to the area due to the risk of kidnappings, crime and terrorism.
That Harry would take such a risk by visiting the volatile country has raised more than a few eyebrows thanks to his claims that it is unsafe for his wife or children to visit England.
The youngest son of King Charles has been in a long legal battle against His Majesty’s government to have his taxpayer-funded personal protective security reinstated after it was removed shortly following his and Meghan’s decision to step down from their roles as full-time working royals.
“It’s still too dangerous and all it takes is one lone actor, one person who reads this stuff, to act on what they have read … and whether it’s a knife or acid, whatever it is,” Harry recently told Tabloids on Trial. “They are genuine concerns for me; they are one of the reasons I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”
Harry still receives protection when he comes back to Britain in certain circumstances, but must give 28 days’ notice on his plans. The Duke of Sussex has lost an initial attempt to appeal against a high court decision to back a reduction in his level of personal security when visiting the UK in April but has vowed to continue the fight.
His father is said to be “frustrated” over his refusal to accept the new arrangements.
“His Majesty’s son is suing His Majesty’s government, and that is very tricky for the King. If they were to meet, there is a worry that son would lobby father because of the mistaken belief that the King has control over his security,” a source told British newspaper The Times. “For him not to have accepted the judgment of His Majesty’s government and courts is frustrating.”
King Charles last saw his grandchildren in June 2022, when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex returned for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebrations.
However, any sympathy Harry may have garnered could now be running in short supply after he so willingly was happy to put himself in potential harm’s way in Colombia, but continues to insist Britain is far too unsafe to visit.
“It does seem odd that Harry and Meghan consider London too dangerous to visit without royal protection but are perfectly willing to tour a country that is notorious for its drug-related violence,” royal biographer Christopher Andersen told Fox. “I think this trip pretty much puts the nail in the coffin of any hopes Harry might have had to convince the King to change his mind.”
