Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s visit to Colombia stirred backlash over the amount spent, but officials reveal the bulk sum came from non-government funds. The Sussexes recently visited Colombia for a four-day tour that saw them promote programmes that support the autonomy of women and prevention of gender-based violence, especially those affecting children through their Archewell Foundation.
While Colombian officials ruled the trip as an overall “success,” several nationals and the media have slammed the Colombian government for “wasting” resources on a faux royal tour, which would have otherwise been channeled towards more beneficial causes promoting economic growth in the developing country.
Government officials have since responded to the allegations of financial misappropriation, denying spending the alleged sum to facilitate the Sussexes’ visit. They also denied reports claiming Harry and Meghan’s security alone cost the country up to £1.5million. This amount allegedly covered the security detail involving about 3000 police and soldiers, anti-bomb squad, sniffer dogs and a bullet-proof armored guard all amounting to about £375,000 per day.
Contrary to these claims, Colombia’s Ministry of Equality and Equity, led by Vice-President Francia Marquez, who lauded the visit, revealed that Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, in fact, self-funded their own travel expenses “and that of their team members with their own resources.” Additionally, they opted to co-finance their personal engagements while in the state.
Despite taking a chunk of money from their own pockets, the trip still required support from other unconventional routes like charities and international agencies to successfully cover costs. Per the statement,
“The events held in the various places visited were co-financed with resources from international cooperation and philanthropy that generously contributed to this visit.”
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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘Vague’ Colombia Trip Found Wanting: ‘A Huge Amount of Tension!’Meanwhile, the ministry, and VP Francia Marquez took charge of the “technical requirements, mobility and participation of young people, women and communities.” With collective monetary and time input from all involved parties, Prince Harry and and Meghan Markle successfully completed their four-day visit to Colombia with glowing reviews. Yet, the question of why the non-royal tour was necessary to begin with remains pressing for many despite the government writing it off as an avenue to encourage investment and tourism.
