Prince Harry and Meghan Markle Kick Off Colombia Visit: Details From Day One

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle traveled to Colombia to kick off their official visit.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex received a warm welcome from Colombia's Vice President, Francia Márquez, and her partner, Rafael Yerney Pinillo, at about 9 a.m. local time on Thursday, August 15, Us Weekly can confirm. Harry, 39, and Meghan, 43, enjoyed coffee, tea and traditional pan de bono (Colombian cheese bread) at the vice president's residence before exchanging gifts with Márquez and Pinillo. In the first photo from the trip, the Duchess warmly embraces Vice President Márquez.

Harry and Meghan stayed at the residence for half an hour. A reporter present for the meeting tells Us that Márquez expressed her gratitude for the couple's official visit and "shared that she feels she and the Sussexes share the same ideals and goals when it comes to championing a better, safer digital future and mental health landscape for our children and the world."

Shortly after the welcome meal, Harry, Meghan and Márquez made a trip to a local charter school, Colegio Cultura Popular. The trio were greeted by a student and the headmaster who led them to participate in a class discussion about social media, technology and the internet. Students shared personal stories about the positive and negative impacts social media has had on their daily lives.

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Meghan described the group as incredibly “impressive, smart and savvy” and highlighted the importance of them aiming to be “self reliant and not tech reliant,” according to a reporter present for the event.

After the roundtable, Meghan and Harry joined the children outside for recess where they were excitedly greeted by more students and teachers.

Meghan and Harry continued to make the rounds on Thursday by attending a cultural event at Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata Olivella, highlighting the artistry of Bogotá. During the outing, the couple chatted with Márquez, the Minister of Culture, Juan David Correa, and the Director of CAN, Xiomara Suescún.

During the afternoon outing, Meghan and Harry were treated to a theater performance and a musical performance. The duke and duchess even joined in on the dancing at the end, according to reports. After all three shows — the third being a Carnaval de Pasto dance performance in the neighboring plaza — the duo spent time with the performers and crew.

The Sussexes announced in August that they had accepted Márquez's invitation to venture to the South American country.

“During their trip, the duke and duchess will join me in visiting Bogotá, as well as the Caribbean and Pacific regions of Cartagena and Cali,” Márquez said in a statement at the time. “In these vibrant locations, they will have the exceptional opportunity to engage with leaders, youth and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians committed to progress. In addition to these meaningful interactions, the duke and duchess will experience the rich heritage of Colombia.”

Márquez noted that the trip was scheduled for “a particularly significant time, as it precedes the first Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children, to be held in Colombia this November.”

The statement continued: “The Archewell Foundation, founded by the duke and duchess, is renowned for its global leadership in fostering a safer online environment. The forthcoming conference will unveil a comprehensive framework for creating safer physical and digital spaces, tackling issues such as cyberbulling, online exploitation and the mental health impacts of these threats. It will offer actionable solutions and commitments for countries around the world. During their visit, the duke and duchess, as well as the Archewell Foundation, will engage in several activities related to this important topic.”

Earlier this year, Harry and Meghan embarked on their first official tour of Nigeria, traveling within the country for three days in May. The trip allowed the pair to promote their foundation’s mental health work and the Invictus Games.

The duo reflected on the visit later that month, telling People that they hoped to venture abroad more in the future.

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“There’s only so much one can do from home and over Zoom, so we look forward to traveling more because the work matters,” Harry said at the time. “Whether it’s the Archewell Foundation, Invictus or any of our other causes, there will always be reasons to meet the people at the heart of our work.”

The Colombia trip comes amid a big year of transition for Harry and Meghan. The two have multiple Netflix series in the works, including a cooking show and a project about professional polo. Meghan is also preparing to launch her new lifestyle business, American Riviera Orchard, while Harry has been celebrating the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.