Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s trip to Colombia is ‘the height of hypocrisy’ over couple’s security concerns, experts say

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s latest trip abroad has raised eyebrows among royal experts over their alleged security concerns.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have spent the last four days in Colombia at the invitation of Vice President Francia Márquez.

They arrived in Bogota on Thursday, where they met with Marquez and toured a charter school before participating in a social media briefing, according to People.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle also met with Invictus Games athletes on Saturday. That same day, they took part in a drumming lesson and learned about other cultural traditions and tours. Similar events continued through Sunday.

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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been visiting Colombia for the past four days, taking part in talks and cultural events. (Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images)

The couple also participated in several discussions and panels on digital security, one of the couple’s main focuses of work through their Archewell Foundation.

During the trip, Prince Harry met with Invictus athletes from Colombia. (Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images)

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also took part in cultural events, such as a drum performance, during their trip. (Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images)

During one of those roundtables on August 16, Markle told the audience, “We should be a role model for how we want our children to be raised and the world that we raise them in. It doesn’t matter where you live. It doesn’t matter who you are. Either you personally or someone you know is a victim of what’s happening online. And that’s something that we can actively work on every day to address,” according to People.

“Either you or someone you know is a victim of what’s happening online. And that’s something that we can actively work on every day to address,” Meghan Markle said during a panel, according to People. (Juancho Torres/Anadolu via Getty Images)

Concerns about online and travel safety have some experts questioning Harry and Meghan’s thought process.

“This tour is the height of Harry’s hypocrisy,” royal expert Hilary Fordwich told Fox News Digital. “A new step in their ‘world tour of private life.’”

Royal expert Hilary Fordwich called the couple’s trip to Colombia “the height of Harry’s hypocrisy.” (Eric Charbonneau/Archewell Foundation via Getty Images)

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She continued: “He said he was concerned about safety in the UK (but) Colombia is considered a much more dangerous country.”

The U.S. State Department has placed Colombia under a Level 3 travel advisory, urging visitors to “reconsider travel” due to “crime and terrorism.”

“This whole tour is the height of Harry’s hypocrisy.”

— Hilary Fordwich, royal expert

The British government website issues a similar warning, advising against “all non-essential travel to certain areas of Colombia”, citing the risk of kidnapping and an unstable political situation, in addition to crime and terrorism.

“It seems odd that Harry and Meghan would consider London too dangerous to visit without royal protection, but would be perfectly willing to visit a country known for its drug-related violence,” Christopher Andersen, author of “The King,” told Fox News Digital.

Members of the Colombian military are seen on the streets of San Basilio de Palenque ahead of the arrival of Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, during a visit to Cartagena, Colombia, August 17, 2024. (Vizzor Image/Getty Images)

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He added: “Their security measures in Colombia are described as massive, and they should be. Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez, who invited Harry and Meghan to visit her country and is accompanying them, has been the target of numerous death threats and assassination attempts.”

Prince Harry is engaged in a long and drawn-out legal battle over his claim to access taxpayer-funded personal protection.

The legal battle began more than four years ago, when the youngest son of King Charles III claimed he and his family were in danger during their visit to his home country because of hostility towards them and his wife Meghan Markle. The 39-year-old said the couple had faced a relentless hounding by the British media.

In April, a High Court judge dismissed his appeal against an earlier ruling upholding a government commission’s decision to limit his access to publicly funded security services.

Prince Harry is embroiled in a long and drawn-out legal battle over his request for access to taxpayer-funded personal security during his visit to the UK. (Diego Cuevas/Getty Images)

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“I think this trip puts an end to any hope Harry might have had of convincing the king to change his mind,” Andersen said.

But it is not just the security issue that puts Prince Harry at odds with his father, King Charles III, and his brother, Prince William.

Andersen noted: “The Sussexes’ decision to visit a high-risk part of the world isn’t what’s really upsetting the royals. Like their visit to Nigeria in May, Harry and Meghan’s trip to Colombia has all the trappings of a royal tour — and it’s infuriating Prince William and the king. The Sussexes no longer represent the Crown, and yet, for all intents and purposes, wherever they go, they’re treated pretty much the same as working royals when they travel abroad.”

“Harry and Meghan have a lot of power and they don’t have to answer to the palace officials who set the agenda and make all the decisions, pushing the royals around like pieces on a chessboard. There’s an element of jealousy at play here,” he added. “Even the king would like to have the kind of freedom that Harry and Meghan have to do what they want.”

“The King” author Charles Andersen told Fox News Digital that the couple’s trip “had all the trappings of a royal tour,” frustrating the Crown. (RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images)

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“But of course, no one would care if Harry and Meghan weren’t royals, and the perception that the Sussexes are profiting from their connection to the Crown is driving King Charles, Queen Camilla and especially William more than a little crazy.”

Relations within the royal family have been strained since Prince Harry and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals and moved to California.

“I think this trip puts an end to any hope Harry might have had of convincing the king to change his mind.”

— Christopher Andersen, author of “The King”

The couple welcomed a son, Archie, and a daughter, Lilibet, and have embarked on several projects, including deals with Netflix and their Archewell Foundation. Meghan Markle also recently launched a lifestyle brand, American Riviera Orchard.

Regarding Meghan Markle’s comments about her children’s online safety, Fordwich added: “If she is truly concerned as a mother about her own children, as she claims, she has destroyed family relationships on both sides, her own family and the royal family. Her children will not grow up with the love and security of having close cousins.”

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle with Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez, who invited the couple to the country for their visit. (Office of the Colombian Vice President via Getty Images)

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Royal correspondent Russell Myers told Sky News Australia this month: “Harry was told by senior members of the royal family that if he wanted a relationship with the rest of the family, then first and foremost he had to stop talking about them.”

Myers said: “They can’t make money off their connections to the royal family. They’re going to have to realise that if they want to have a relationship with the rest of the royal family, they can’t denigrate them.”