On August 18, the official visit of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle, to Colombia came to an end. The couple closed their marathon agenda in the city of Cali, where their presence generated great expectations and left a lasting impression on the country.
Throughout their stay, social media was flooded with videos capturing their arrival in the country, the various activities they participated in, and the conversations they had with important Colombian figures. Among the most talked about moments, there was an image in which the dukes enjoyed a salsa dance, which ended with laughter, hugs, and a kiss.
Duchess Meghan surprised the audience by demonstrating her fluency in Spanish during a conversation at the Teatro Municipal de Cali with Vice President Francia Márquez. Meghan began her speech in Spanish, which sparked a wave of applause and enthusiasm among the audience. “Hello, good afternoon. I would like to speak in Spanish,” said the Duchess, who explained that she had learned the language 20 years ago in Argentina. During her speech, she expressed her gratitude towards Colombia and highlighted the warmth of its people: “Because we are in your country, my husband and I, and I can feel this embrace from Colombia, it is incredible.”
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The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, enjoyed a salsa dance in Cali, generating standing ovations and highlighting their connection with Colombian culture.
In her speech, Meghan spoke about the challenges related to race, environmental protection and resistance in Colombia’s Pacific territories in the face of violence and lack of opportunities. She thanked Francia Márquez, whom she referred to as “my friend,” before continuing her speech in English.
The Sussexes’ visit also included a meeting with children at a school in Bogotá, where Meghan again surprised by speaking Spanish, telling a child: “You are the same age as my son Archie!” Harry, for his part, tried to practice the language by asking the names and ages of the students, which generated laughter and sympathy.
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The tour of Colombia left not only a strong cultural impact, but also an emotional one, strengthening the ties between the royal couple and the country. The visit concluded with a symbolic gesture in Cali, where the traditional singer of the Pacific, Nidia Góngora, gave the dukes a bottle of viche, an ancestral drink, and a replica of a chonta marimba, an emblematic instrument of the region. “Colombia is marimba, it is Pacific, it is an Afro land, a prosperous and peaceful region,” said Góngora when presenting these gifts.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s stay in Colombia was a meeting of cultures that will resonate both in the South American country and in the memories of the royal couple.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle visited a school in Bogotá, where they interacted with children and shared emotional moments.
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