Meghan Markle will deliver a speech on ‘Afro Women and Power’ during her trip to Colombia with Prince Harry.
The couple concluded the third day of their royal tour with a visit to the traditional Afro-Caribbean village of San Basilio de Palenque.
The journey to the village involved a half-hour helicopter flight from Cartagena and then a 15-minute car ride along a potholed road, full of soldiers and, at one point, a tank.
To beat the 30c heat and humidity, Meghan wore a white linen skirt, sleeveless blouse and a Panama hat. Harry wore a light blue linen shirt and cream trousers and appeared to be uncomfortable in the heat with sweat patches under his arms.
They were warmly welcomed by locals who clapped, cheered and waved to the couple, who were accompanied by their usual security team.
Ahead of their arrival, some locals said they hoped Harry would use the visit to apologise for the British Crown’s role in the colonial slave trade.
The Duke of Sussex has previously spoken out about the “unjust” system in which “enslaved people” generated wealth for the Crown.
However, he has not apologized for the role his family plays in the oppressive system.
Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia, on the third day of their visit
Meghan wore a white linen skirt, sleeveless blouse and Panama hat, while Harry wore a blue linen shirt
Harry and Meghan are seen on the streets of San Basilio de Palenque during their visit to Colombia
Meghan and Harry walk through the streets of San Basilio de Palenque in Colombia
Members of a children’s choir wave as they await the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan
Harry and Meghan walked hand in hand across the village square, where stalls selling traditional handicrafts were set up, and they engaged in lively conversation with bystanders.
The village was founded almost 300 years ago by freed African slaves and is sometimes described as ‘a little corner of Africa’.
For Meghan, this stop was extra significant because when she visited Nigeria in May, she said she was “43 percent Nigerian.”
On Sunday, the almost royal tour ends with a visit to the city of Cali, where the couple will attend a music festival and meet local youth.
Meghan’s speech in Cali will cover the theme of ‘Afro Women and Power’ and will be held at the city’s main theatre.
In the village of San Basilio de Palenque, 32-year-old local rapper Andris Padilla Julio performed for the Duke and Duchess after they completed a tour of the area.
Padilla is known by the rap name Afroneto and is the creator of a style known as RFP, or Folkloric Palanquero Rap.
He said: ‘I’ve spoken to Harry and his wife and Francia Marquez about our plan to build an arts and performance centre here.
‘I gave them a document with what we want to do and now they just have to deposit the money we need.
“They said they would help. Harry complimented me on my RFP flow and my outfit.”
Josefa Hernandez, 38, a contractor for Colombia’s Ministry of Culture who served as master of ceremonies during the visit, said: “This visit was very symbolic for us.
‘The Duke and Duchess have broken their protocol to thank us for opening the doors of our community to them.
‘They told us that they understood the importance of San Basilio de Palenque for the history of Colombia and the world.
The couple were surrounded by people as they walked through the streets of San Basilio de Palenque
Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia
Crowds formed around Harry and Meghan as they arrived in the area on the third day of their visit
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex walk the streets on the third day of their visit
‘First they visited the cultural center of San Basilio de Palenque, where Franca Marquez gave a speech and the national anthem of Colombia and the national anthem of Palenque were played.
‘A local wise woman performed a ritual to predict prosperity for the Duke, Duchess and Vice President.
‘They were then given a tour by a local historian who told them about the origins of the city.’
Colombia has the third largest population of African descent after Nigeria and Brazil, and the three host Vice President Francia Marquez is the first black woman to hold the position. In a 2014 speech to Amnesty, Ms. Marquez said that Afro-women in Colombia “must keep going” despite the risks they face.
She believed that women play an important role because their “caring instinct” drives them to protect not only their children, but also their territory, the environment and their communities.
“We need to feminize politics and fill humanity with motherly love. War has always been driven by machismo, by patriarchy, and by things between men. I think these men need to stop being so aggressive in life and think about feminizing themselves.”
The Petronio Alvarez music festival that Harry and Meghan are attending on Sunday is the largest Afro-Colombian festival in the country and is held every year in August.
Crowds formed around the Duke and Duchess of Sussex as they arrived
Meghan and Harry were escorted by security as they walked through the streets
Harry and Meghan take part in a drumming lesson led by Colombian students
In the village today, Harry and Meghan were treated to a song and dance performance by locals dressed in traditional African clothing.
Unfortunately for the couple, the approaching sunset meant they only had about twenty minutes left on the square before they had to leave in a convoy.
They stopped for a moment to admire a statue of the founder of San Basilio, Benkos Bioho.
After Bioho, originally from present-day Guinea-Bissau, freed himself from Spanish rule, he founded the city, which has UNESCO World Heritage status, as an “enclave of liberation” for freed slaves.
Access was strictly limited and only the Sussex-approved media team were allowed near the bride and groom.
A spokesperson for the vice president’s office said: “The event was a special gathering to reconnect with African roots; to learn more about the experiences and living conditions of the Black, Afro-descendant, Raizal and Palanquero peoples in the region and to strengthen human and cultural development programs that promote the guarantee of cultural and collective rights in this area.”
Speaking in the village, Meghan said: ‘We understand very well the importance and the meaning of what this city is, it has become very clear to us. We understand what Palenque represents for Colombia and for the world, we thank you for sharing everything you showed us.’
Prince Harry told the crowd: ‘It feels like we’ve seen the whole country.’
He added: “What we see here is a community. Don’t forget the message of the vice president: together we are stronger, united as one we are stronger.”
Harry and Megan are in Escuela de Tambores de Cabildo together
Harry and Meghan clap during a performance at La Boquilla drum school in Cartagena
Earlier, Harry and Meghan kicked off the third day of their quasi-royal tour of Colombia with a visit to a drumming school in the Caribbean.
The Sussexes, along with Mrs Marquez and her husband, took part in a drumming lesson given by the students, followed by a performance by some locals, which drew all the VIPs to their feet.
School principal Rafael Ramos was overjoyed to see the Duchess’s reaction to the performances, saying: “I love seeing Meghan’s big smile. I can tell she’s excited!”
Following her performance, Ms. Marquez gave an impassioned speech about the inherent importance of tradition when it comes to preserving Colombian heritage.
In her address to the audience, which included her own family members she had brought with her that day, she said that cities like Cartagena represent the heart of Colombian culture and that the art of drumming in particular symbolizes the freedom of black communities around the world.
She also admitted that she invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Colombia in part because she saw them as a collective symbol of resistance and two important voices against injustice.
“The Duke and Duchess came to Colombia… this is Colombia. This is where the roots of our ancestors and our forefathers come from,” Vice President Marquez said. “A community like this cannot be displaced.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved from the capital Bogota to the coastal city of Cartagena, amid the usual heavy security.
