Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Colombia tour: Colombia's Vice President praises Prince Harry and Meghan as “symbols of resistance”

By Susie Coen

Princess Lilibet at the age of three, “finally found her voice”, the Duchess of Sussex has said.

As a speaker on a panel at an Afro Women and Power event on the last day of the couple's Colombia tourMeghan said she tried to help her daughter find her voice and was “so proud” that she had succeeded.

She said: “I think part of my role model role as a mother is to encourage our daughter, who found her voice at the age of three.

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She added: “We are so proud of this because, as I said, we are setting the stage for a ripple effect where young girls and young women experience that someone else is encouraging them to use their voice and to make their voices heard.”

The 43-year-old Duchess also said men should help women like Prince Harry to increase their power.

She said her role as a mother and parent is to ensure that young girls feel their voices are heard and “also that young boys are educated to listen.”

“The same goes for adult women and men – this is not something that can be the responsibility and the hands of women alone,” she added.

“Yes, we work incredibly well together as a team, but my husband is a great example of how crucial men's role is in this. They need to empower women and make them feel like their voices are heard, starting at a young age and continuing into adulthood.”

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Meghan had previously said she had “found inspiration in so many strong women around me. Of course, my mother is one of them.”

She also said she managed to relax on the couple's four-day trip.

“You may have noticed that my husband and I talked about this this morning. I'm just totally relaxed on this trip.”

The best photos from Harry and Meghan's Colombia tour

She added: “It's probably because it's Colombia and you all know how to have fun.”

Meghan began with She delivered her remarks in Spanish and said she and Harry could “feel the embrace of Colombia”.

“I'm sorry if my Spanish is not perfect because I learned it 20 years ago in Argentina, but I try hard because here I can feel this community and this feeling that is the best in the world,” she said.

Meghan also thanked Francia Márquez, the vice president, who she called “my friend.”

Ms Marquez's remarks were briefly interrupted by a heckler who raised the issue of the lack of inclusion of trans women.

Before the discussion, the Duke and Duchess were seen sitting in the front row, clapping and nodding their heads enthusiastically during musical performances.

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The couple were then expected to join 500,000 festival-goers on the final day of the Petronio Alvarez Music Festival, the country's largest Afro-Colombian celebration.

According to the United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Cali and Cartagena are the two cities with the largest proportion of Colombians of African descent.

On Saturday, Ms Marquez described the Duke and Duchess as a “symbol of resistance” ahead of the final day of their quasi-royal tour.

They visited the Escuela Taller Tambores de Cabildo in the coastal city of Cartagena, where they took part in a drumming lesson and learned about the community's efforts to preserve its heritage.

At the event, Ms Marquez thanked Prince Harry and Meghan for their visit to Colombia.

“We are grateful that they are both here, because for me they are also a symbol of resistance, of rebellion,” she said.

She added: “In the face of injustice, we do not remain silent and raise our voices wherever we are.”

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The country's first black vice president had previously stated that she felt compelled to invite the couple after watching the couple's six-part Netflix series.

Harry and Meghan's decision to visit Colombia as part of a so-called “do-it-yourself” royal tour has caused a stir given Harry's previous comments about security concerns in the UK.

The Federal Foreign Office advises against travel to some parts of the country.

The couple began their four-day trip in the capital, Bogotá, where Harry spoke about online harm in comments that appeared to be a thinly veiled jab at Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of X.

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They also attended a school in the Santa Fe metropolitan area.

On Saturday, the couple traveled to San Basilio de Palanque, a walled city about 30 miles south of Cartagena founded by runaway slaves.

They were shown what was probably the first free city in South America, which is considered an important part of African heritage and resistance.

They were also treated to musical performances and shown the statue of Benkos Biohó, the founder of the city.

The trip was strictly controlled, access for the press was restricted and there were intensive security measures.

© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2024