Meghan Markle spoke Spanish during her ‘Afro women and power’ talk on the final day of her quasi-royal tour in Columbia with Prince Harry.
The Duchess of Sussex gave a speech at the event in the city of Cali’s theatre, which has been surrounded with a security ring of steel including dozens of armed police and soldiers.
Meghan proudly retold her go-to tale about how she wrote to Procter & Gamble aged 11 to ask the brand to change its sexist soap commercial.
The Duchess often uses the story in her speeches, despite questions being raised about its validity.
The account was stripped out of a Vanity Fair cover story in 2017 after ‘fact checkers had raised questions about its accuracy,’ a biography said in 2022.
During her speech, Meghan paid tribute to her mother and also gushed over her three-year-old daughter Lilibet.
‘[I] encourage our daughter – at three she has found her voice and we are so proud of that,’ Meghan said.
‘For me I find inspiration in so many of the strong women around me. My mother being one of them. Life is full of surprises and can be quite complex.’
Meghan Markle on stage for the Afro women and power debate in Cali
Meghan speaks at the Afro women and power forum on the last day of her Columbia tour with Harry
Meghan (second left) speaks as part of the panel at the Afro women and power forum in Cali
Meghan speaks at the Afro women and power event in Cali today
Meghan speaks as part of the panel at the Afro women and power forum in Cali
Meghan appeared on Nick News after lobbying the manufacturing company to change a TV ad for dishwashing liquid in 1993
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle greet attendees on arrival to the Afro women and power forum
Harry and Meghan greet people on arrival to the Afro women and power debate
Meghan waves at attendees at the Afro women and power forum in the city of Cali
Meghan addresses one of the attendees at the event in the city of Cali today
Meghan and Harry on the front row for the Afro women and power debate
Meghan and Harry raise their arms in the air at the Afro women and power event
Harry listens through an ear piece to a simultaneous translation at the event
A general view of the ‘Afro women and power’ forum at the Municipal Theatre in Cali
An Afro-Colombian music group to receive Harry and Meghan for the Afro Women and Power Forum
The Municipal de Cali theatre prior to the arrival of Harry and Meghan for the Afro women and power debate
The Duchess is wearing a sleeveless white shirt with a patterned skirt, while her husband has opted for another light-coloured shirt for the event.
The couple arrived at Cali’s municipal theatre just before 11am local time and were ushered to their front row seats.
Next to them was vice president Francia Marquez – the first black woman to hold the position – who is showing the pair around the city.
The Duke and Duchess clapped as the forum was introduced and the panel of six women took their seats.
As they were introduced the forum host pointed out that they had entered the theatre to a love song, and Meghan was pictured nodding and laughing.
Harry was seen passing bottles of water along the row to Meghan and other VIPs as the event kicked off.
He listened through an ear piece to a simultaneous translation and at points Meghan could be seen nodding her head as the panel spoke.
Columbia has the third largest population of African descent after Nigeria and Brazil and the couple’s host for their trip is vice president Marquez.
The Afro women in power forum will appeal to Meghan, who has referenced her Nigerian ancestry several times.
Ms Marquez and the Duchess are said to have developed a ‘close bond’ in the last few days since meeting in person, and have been pictured hugging warmly each time they meet.
Speaking in 2014 to Amnesty, Ms Marquez said Colombia’s Afro women ‘must keep going’, despite the risks they face.
She believed women have a key role to play because their ‘caring instinct’ drives them to protect not only their children, but also their territory, the environment and their communities.
The couple smile as they greet and wave at attendees at the Afro women and power forum
Meghan and Harry talk to people at the Afro women and power debate in Cali
People are seen outside the Municipal Theater of Cali before the arrival of Harry and Meghan
Women gather before the start of the Afro women and power debate today, which is being attended by Harry and Meghan
Women queue while waiting to enter to the Afro women and power forum
A group of women gather in a queue while waiting to enter the Afro women and power debate
A woman is pictured outside the Municipal theatre in Cali where Meghan is giving a speech about female empowerment
Harry and Meghan’s visit to Colombia hosted by the vice president Francia Márquez. (Pictured, the municipal theatre in Cali)
A poster for the Afro women in power debate in Cali, Colombia on August 18, 2024
Crowds of people patiently wait to get inside the municipal theatre in Cali where Meghan is taking part in a debate
The city’s main theatre has been surrounded – as have all the other venues – with a security ring of steel including dozens of armed police and soldiers
Columbia has the third largest population of African descent after Nigeria and Brazil (Pictured, armed police keeping close watch as people wait outside the theatre)
The Afro women in power forum will appeal to Meghan who has referenced her Nigerian ancestry several times (A woman is pictured outside the city’s theatre)
Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Harry during a visit to San Basilio de Palenque
The Duchess of Sussex is due to give a speech at the event at an Afro women in power debate
Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Harry during a visit to San Basilio de Palenque
Harry and Meghan pictured with drums at the Escuela Tambores de Cabildo on August 17
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan with Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez and her husband Yernei Pinillo in Bogota
There have also been photo opportunities for the couple with youngsters in Bogota
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on the third day of their visit to Columbia, attending a Caribbean drumming school
Photo opportunities on this non-royal tour are aplenty – the couple meet traditional dancers
The couple met dance students from the Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata
‘We need to feminize politics and fill humanity with maternal love,’ she said.
‘War has always been driven by machismo, by the patriarchy and by business between men. I think these men need to stop being so aggressive in life and think about feminizing themselves.’
Meanwhile the Petronio Alvarez music festival Harry and Meghan which they will attend is the largest Afro-Colombian celebration in the country and held every August.
It opened earlier this week and ends tonight with a ‘battle of the bands’ and draws heavily on Afro-Colombian groups, with stalls selling food and dancing through the streets and the main stage is at a sports complex called Unidad Deportiva Alberto Galinda.
Harry and Meghan clapping during a performance at La Boquilla drum school in Cartagena
Harry and Meghan participate in a drum lesson led by Colombian students
Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia
Meghan dressed in white linen skirt, sleeveless blouse and Panama hat, while Harry wore a blue linen shirt
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex walk through the streets on day three of their visit
Since its foundation in 1997 it has evolved into a significant celebration of Afro-Colombian music and culture in Latin America.
It was aimed at uniting artists from Colombia’s Pacific coast and giving them a platform to express and celebrate their rich cultural heritage.
Ana Copete, the director of last year’s version of the festival, said at the time: ‘What this festival has done in the past 27 years is to tell Colombia and the world that we are a multi-ethnic and multicultural country.
‘We, as Afro-Colombians, have forged the identity of this country; we have built this country, hand in hand with others. And we deserve the dignity of our culture, not only as folklore but as a way of life.’
But critic Addo Obed Possu, who makes drums and other traditional instruments for the festival, was quoted in a report last year as claiming it was becoming too political.
Crowds formed around Harry and Meghan as they arrived in the area on the third day of their visit
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He cited the inclusion of big acts like salsa band Grupo Niche he said had nothing to do with the musical culture, saying: ‘It takes away funds from a black musician, who comes from the deep territories of the Pacific Coast, to perform traditional music and be on the spotlight during the festival.
‘For example, with the amount of money they pay Grupo Niche, they could double the pay of each of the groups that come from the four participating regions.’
Wherever Harry and Meghan go in Colombia the same complaint always seems to follow them.
You hear it in the narrow streets of La Candelaria in Bogota and within the ancient walled city of Cartagena 600 miles away on the country’s Caribbean coast, where the couple touched down yesterday, the latest stop on their faux royal tour.
It is that while locals are only too aware the Sussexes are in town – the excess of armed police, sirens, blocked-off roads and traffic jams are perpetual reminders – it irks that they never see them in the flesh.
‘It’s very strange, they move like ghosts,’ said Arturo, a waiter, sheltering from the Andean sun under a palm frond on Avenida Jimenez de Quesada on Thursday afternoon.
Members of a children’s choir wave as they wait for the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan
Harry and Meghan also met a volleyball team at the Center for Veterans Rehabilitation in Bogota
At each carefully selected venue, the duke and duchess arrive and depart unseen, invariably exiting at speed via an underground car park or hidden side street in a roaring phalanx of flashing Land Cruisers.
While their elusiveness irritates some, others in Bogota and Cartagena remain determinedly incurious – ‘they’re nothing special’ and ‘who cares?’ are common refrains.
The couple rounded off the third day of their royal tour by visiting traditional Afro-Caribbean village, San Basilio de Palenque.
The trip to the village involved a half hour helicopter ride from Cartagena and then a 15 minute drive along a pot holed road lined with soldiers and at one point a tank.
To beat the 30c heat and humidity Meghan dressed in white linen skirt, sleeveless blouse and Panama hat. Harry had a light blue linen shirt and cream trousers and seemed uncomfortable in the heat with sweat stains under his arms.
They were met with a warm welcome as locals clapped, cheered and waved at the couple who were accompanied by their usual security team.
