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Privacy NoticePrince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle began their four-day tour of Colombia last Thursday, and according to a source, it’s made them miss elements of the royal life they chose to leave behind in a shock statement in 2020, to start a new life in America. And the source claims that the tour is another reminder of the aspects of royal life, before they broke away from the royal family and moved to America, that the couple – particularly Meghan – found so satisfying. “This Columbia tour is so important to them, especially Meghan, as it really gives her the chance to do the stuff she loves – meeting people and dignitaries is where she shines. “She really got a taste for it during her time with the royals and being able to make a change is what she’s passionate about. It does make her miss that part of being royal as she knows they could’ve done a lot more tours if they had stayed and been able to be a part time members of the family.”
Harry and Meghan on the first day of their Colombian tour in Bogota
(Image: Getty Images)
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As a royal, such high-profile tours are a part of royal life – and the source claims that former Suits actress Meghan does have “regrets – as she knows she could do a lot more good if she was doing them as an official royal family member.” The pair’s Colombian visit was at the invitation of Francia Márquez, the vice-president, with plans to “engage with leaders, youth, and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians committed to progress” as well as enjoying the “vibrant locations” of the capital Bogotá, Cartagena and Cali, the authorities have said. And no doubt, the California-based couple’s star power will have made quite a splash, as they shine a light on certain elements of the country’s culture – as well as its poverty, and what can be done to help. Just as their three-day visit to Nigeria in May showed, these trips are something the Sussexes love to do, and are clearly very passionate about. But as is often the way with Harry and Meghan, their latest tour has not been without controversy – with Chief of Staff Josh Kettler leaving their team just three months into the job, before the Sussexes had even jetted off to the South American country.
Harry and Meghan were clearly enjoying their tour in the South American country
(Image: Archewell Foundation via Getty I)
However, as a source told OK!, they refuse to let it steer them off course. “The tour got off to the worst possible start before it had even begun with yet another member of Meghan and Harry’s team quitting. They are aware there’s high turnover of staff, but that’s normal in this kind of job – and they are refusing to let it dampen their spirits.” As well as those who praise their work there will also, as ever, be those detractors who believe Harry and Meghan should leave such tours to the Royal Family in Britain. The source added: “This tour will be somewhat overshadowed by criticism by people who say they are trying to outdo the actual royals – but Meghan and Harry just want to help and do what they know they are good at. There will be a part of them that regrets leaving the royal family behind.” According to royal expert Duncan Larcombe, it is unusual for Harry and Meghan to be doing these kinds of tours – and it shows that there are parts of their old royal life that they evidently still miss. “For a couple that deliberately turned their back on full-time royal life and what that entails, Harry and Meghan seem to be doing exactly what royals do,” he said.
Meghan in particular enjoys the ‘attention’ of these trips, claims royal expert Duncan
(Image: ABACA/PA Images)
“The trip to Colombia is a classic tour that they might have been expected to undertake if they’d stayed in Britain all along. The tour they did in Nigeria, exactly the same – it was a royal tour in every way but name. “They said they couldn’t stand the life, they didn’t like the institution – but the actual work of being a royal is something Meghan – and Harry – clearly yearn for.” As for what specifically Meghan misses about her controversial time as a Royal, Duncan claims it’s “being the centre of attention, where she is able to do high-profile royal jobs, like her tour of Australia and her trip to South Africa. That had given her a taste of what royal life could have been like.” But he also thinks that, effectively, the couple are “cherry-picking the jobs they do”, something that working royals, who often do less glamorous jobs, do not have the liberty to do. “Also, unfortunately Meghan has commercialised what she does – they get paid, and paid handsomely. They may not get paid for Colombia, or their pseudo-royal tour to Nigeria, but they’re using their brand to rake in a lot of money – selling commercial products, doing set deals with the likes of Netflix. Meghan may yearn for a royal life, but she seems to only want to do things if she’s paid for them.”
The couple’s second official trip of the year was to Nigeria
(Image: Getty Images for The Archewell Foundation)
The royal author also claims that the couple could be ‘trying to prove a point’ with their tours – and reminding people that they are still ‘a famous, relevant couple’. But as well as keeping themselves front of mind as far as the public are concerned, Duncan tells us he believes there is another potential reason for the couple’s seeming devotion to these tours abroad. “There seems to be a lot of truth in the suggestion that one day Meghan might have her eyes on politics in America – that these tours are a way of raising her profile. “It’s very good work experience for someone who might one day want to run for election to the senate – or indeed, even the main job in American politics.”
A lot has changed since the couple tied the knot in Windsor in 2018
(Image: Getty Images)
In January 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a statement sharing their intention to step back as senior working members of the royal family- a decision quickly followed by a meeting now known as the ‘Sandringham Summit’ with the most senior members of the family to “talk things through.” And according to Duncan, Harry and Meghan’s evolution today is just what the Queen expressed she feared most that day. “When they sat with the Queen to iron things out, the late monarch’s biggest fear was that Harry and Meghan would ‘have their cake and eat it’. Well, those fears have been realised, quite clearly.” No doubt, the famous couple will do good and raise awareness for important causes when they set foot in foreign lands on their tours – but not everyone will agree with how they go about it.Story SavedYou can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.Follow OK! MagazineFacebookTwitterCommentMore OnMeghan MarklePrince HarryNetflixRoyal FamilyQueen Elizabeth IIKing Charles III
