An event where Meghan Markle gave a speech on female empowerment in Colombia has been marred by a heckler. The Duchess of Sussex spoke durin…

An event where Meghan Markle gave a speech on female empowerment in Colombia has been marred by a heckler.

The Duchess of Sussex spoke during a panel discussion at the Afro Women and Power conference in Cali, Colombia, on Sunday afternoon, where she was supported by her husband Prince Harry. Meghan spoke in both English and Spanish during the event inside Enrique Buenaventura Municipal Theater, including when she referred to Colombia’s vice-president Francia Marquez, who invited the Sussexes to her country, as “my friend”.

And she also paid tribute to Marquez, who is Colombia’s first Black vice-president, for helping to inspire the next generation. However, when it came to vice president Marquez’s turn to speak, she was heckled by an audience member, who shouted out a question about trans-rights.

Ms Marquez responded: “I’m talking about women in general. We’ve got a programme for trans women as well.” The audience member sat down after the incident and was allowed to stay in her seat for the rest of the event.

During Meghan’s speech, she paid tribute to Harry for empowering her and allowing her to know her voice was heard. She also told how their three-year-old daughter has ‘already found her voice’ as she also paid tribute to her own mother, Doria. 

Speaking about Harry, 39, who later joined her on stage where they lovingly held hands, Meghan, 43, said: “Yes, we work incredibly well together as a team, but as my husband is great testament to, the role of men in this of empowering women, of allowing them to know that their voices are heard, starting at a young age all the way through adulthood, is key. For us and the work that we do with our Archewell Foundation, certainly the work that we do as parents, as I do as a mother, is ensuring that young girls feel as though their voices are being heard.

“And also that young boys are being raised to listen and to hear those young women as well. And the same goes for adult women and men. This isn’t something that can be solely responsible and in the hands of just women.” Speaking about Lilibet, Meghan added: “I think part of the role modelling that I certainly try to do as a mother is to encourage our daughter, who at three, she has found her voice, and we’re so proud of that.

“That is how we, as I was saying, create the conditions in which there’s a ripple effect of young girls and young women knowing that if someone else is encouraging them to use their voice and be heard, that’s what they’re going to do, and they’re going to create a very different environment than so many of us grew up in where our voices were meant to be smaller. And now in raising them, we’re changing the conditions in the environment where everyone has space to be the best version of themselves.”

Meghan added: “I find inspiration in so many of the strong women that are around me. Of course, my mother being one of them.” She said: “I’m just really relaxed on this trip. That’s probably because it’s Columbia, and you all know how to have fun, but there’s been something really that’s true, there’s something so liberating about being able to be yourself and be comfortable in your skin and be surrounded in a space that is excited to see you exactly the way that you are.

“And so I think that is part of the chapter for me, of joy that will hopefully continue to inspire and allow me to to keep doing the work that we love to do, which is to just be of service and see other people live their lives in that same joyful spirit.”

Speaking in Spanish, Meghan began speaking to the audience by saying: “I would like to begin in Spanish because we are in your country. Sorry if my Spanish is not perfect because I learned 20 years ago in Argentina, but I’m trying because here I can feel this community and this feeling which is the best in the world. My husband and I, and I can feel this embrace from Colombia. It’s incredible, so many, many thanks because the culture, the history, everything has been like a dream on this trip.”

Later, Harry and Meghan are expected to visit the Petronio Alvarez Festival, which is a celebration of Afro-Colombian music.