Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Discussed Princess Diana on Their First Day in Colombia

The Sussexes arrived with a special gift for Colombia's vice president.

Meghan Markle arrives in Colombia
(Image credit: Eric Charbonneau for Archewell via Getty Images)

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have arrived for their first day in Colombia. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were invited on the royal tour by Colombia's vice president, Francia Márquez. With plans to visit Bogotá, Cartagena, and Cali, the Sussexes landed on Thursday, and wasted no time in getting started.

Harper's Bazaar were the first outlet to share photos of Meghan and Harry's arrival, taken by photographer Erin Charbonneau on behalf of the Sussex's charitable foundation, Archewell. For day 1, Duchess Meghan leaned into the tailored vest trend, wearing a co-ordinating set from California-based label Veronica Beard. Meghan accessorized her outfit with Manolo Blahnik pumps and a white Loro Piana bag, which matched her milky white manicure. Her husband wore a sleek suit with a blue shirt underneath, its top buttons undone.

The Daily Telegraph's deputy royal editor shared additional details regarding Harry and Meghan's arrival. "They enjoyed tea, coffee and traditional pan de bono (Colombian cheese bread) with VP Francia Márquez and her partner," Victoria Ward wrote on X. "Ms Márquez said H&M shared her vision for a safer digital future."

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry enter a building in Colombia wearing coordinating suits

Duchess Meghan leaned into the tailored vest trend for her arrival.

(Image credit: Eric Charbonneau for Archewell)

Harper's Bazaar exclusively revealed that vice president Márquez "shared her personal admiration for Harry’s mother, the late Princess Diana." According to the publication, Meghan arrived with a "personal gift" for Márquez. They also reported that Meghan and Harry are set to visit the Colegio Cultura Popular, a children’s school, later today.

Elaborating on the purpose of the tour, royal correspondent Richard Palmer shared on X, "Prince Harry and Meghan have begun a four-day visit to Colombia focusing on efforts to improve the mental health and online safety of young people in the country." He continued, "They were welcomed by Vice President Francia Márquez and her partner, Rafael Yerney Pinillo at her residence."

On August 1, Márquez shared news of the royal tour, revealing in a statement (via People), "As the Vice President of Colombia and Minister of Equality and Equity, I am pleased to announce that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have kindly accepted my invitation to visit our beautiful country."

Amy Mackelden
Contributing Editor

Amy Mackelden is a contributing editor at Marie Claire, where she covers celebrity and royal family news. She was the weekend editor at Harper’s BAZAAR for three years, where she covered breaking celebrity and entertainment news, royal stories, fashion, beauty, and politics. Prior to that, she spent a year as the joint weekend editor for Marie Claire, ELLE, and Harper's BAZAAR, and two years as an entertainment writer at Bustle. Her additional bylines include Cosmopolitan, People, The Independent, HelloGiggles, Biography, Shondaland, Best Products, New Statesman, Heat, and The Guardian. Her work has been syndicated by publications including Town & Country, Good Housekeeping, Esquire, Delish, Oprah Daily, Country Living, and Women's Health. Her celebrity interviews include Jennifer Aniston, Jessica Chastain, the cast of Selling Sunset, Emma Thompson, Jessica Alba, and Penn Badgley. In 2015, she delivered an academic paper at Kimposium, the world's first Kardashian conference.