Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to Make Major South American Visit

The Sussexes are heading to Colombia on behalf of the Archewell Foundation.

By Michael Hein

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are planning a trip to Colombia to meet with Vice President Francia Márquez, they announced on Aug. 1. It's unclear when they will set out and how long they will stay, but their visit may be related to the first-ever World Ministerial Conference on the Elimination of Violence Against Children, which is scheduled for November.

Prince Harry and Markle intend to visit Bogotá, Cartagena and Cali while they are in Colombia. Márquez issued a public statement on the trip, saying: "As the Vice President of Colombia and Minister of Equality and Equity, I am pleased to announce that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, have kindly accepted my invitation to visit our beautiful country."

Noting the three destinations on their itinerary, Márquez went on: "In these vibrant locations, they will have the exceptional opportunity to engage with leaders, youth, and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians committed to progress. In addition to these meaningful interactions, the Duke and Duchess will experience the rich heritage of Colombia."

As for the conference, Márquez noted that it shares common goals with Prince Harry and Markle's Archewell Foundation and its new focus on protecting children from cyber-bullying and other ill effects of social media. He said: "The conference will present a global framework for creating safer physical and virtual spaces, addressing issues such as cyberbullying, online exploitation and the impact of these threats on mental health. It will offer practical solutions and commitments for countries around the world. During their visit, the Duke and Duchess, as well as the Archewell Foundation, will take part in a number of activities related to this important topic."

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Earlier this month, Markle and Prince Harry spoke about their increasing focus on mental health in an interview on CBS Sunday Morning. They revealed that their program The Parents Network recently completed a two-year pilot program, and is now open to people throughout the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. The campaign slogan is "No Child Lost to Social Media," and its main offerings are resources and support to children impacted by social media use and their parents.

You can learn more about The Parents Network on the Archewell website. It's unclear when Prince Harry and Markle will make their trip to Colombia.

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