EXCLUSIVE: Royal staff ‘infuriated’ by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s ‘bewildering’ decision

As Prince Harry and Meghan Markle touch down in Colombia ahead of their four-day tour, a royal expert has revealed that palace staff have been ‘grumbling’ about the couple’s ‘reckless’ decision

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have kicked off their four-day Colombia tour and according to one expert, it’s already raised eyebrows in the Palace.

Although they’re no longer working royals, the Sussexes intend to continue royal-style tours overseas in a non-official capacity, with Colombia marking their second big trip of 2024. Focusing on projects aimed at safeguarding young people from online dangers, Colombia’s Vice President Francia Márquez has revealed that Harry and Meghan will be visiting schools to promote the importance of digital literacy and to raise awareness regarding issues concerning mental health.

Mr Márquez has asserted that the couple will ‘have the exceptional opportunity to engage with elders, youth and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians’. However, not everyone has responded so positively to this semi-regal tour, with senior royal and palace staff alike said to be ‘bewildered’…

Senior royals are said to be ‘bewildered’ by this latest tour ( 
Image:
AFP via Getty Images)

The palace is said to be concerned about Harry and Meghan flying to such a dangerous country ( 
Image:
Getty Images for The Archewell F)
Royal author Tom Quinn told the Mirror: “News that Harry and Meghan have accepted an invitation to tour Columbia has caused bewilderment, concern and some irritation among senior royals in the UK. The view is that Meghan and Harry are now so desperate to maintain their brand and stop the slide in their relevance that they are recklessly prepared to visit one of the most dangerous countries in the world – in 2023 Columbia had the third highest murder rate in South America.”

Colombia is notorious for its ‘high terrorist threat’, as well as skyrocketing rates of abduction incidents. Shocking Defence Ministry figures show that, from January to October 2022, at least 287 people were kidnapped by bandits, marking an alarming 73 per cent surge from the previous year. The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has warned Brits to ‘reconsider’ travelling to the country unless absolutely essential.

According to Quinn, the author of Scandals of the Royal Palaces: An Intimate Memoir of Royals Behaving Badly, there have also been ‘grumbles’ amongst members of staff. He continued: “One or two palace officials have grumbled that Colombia is pretty much the only country that would have Meghan and Harry. And there is no doubt that senior Royals in the UK would have declined an invitation to visit a country where any kind of security is difficult to maintain.

“They are also worried that the Firm will be blamed for not trying to stop the tour should anything happen to Meghan and Harry while they are in Colombia.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s visit to the South American nation reportedly aims to ‘illuminate Colombia’s role as a beacon of culture and innovation’. During their stay, Harry and Meghan will immerse themselves in the country’s arts and culture scene while visiting the capital city of Bogotá, as well as Cartagena and Cali, before meeting with Colombia’s Invictus Games team.

The Mirror has approached Kensington Palace for comment.