PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle’s Colombian tour is “baffling” and “random”, a royal expert has claimed.
Victoria Murphy alleged there’s no clear reason why the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are visiting Colombia.
The royal expert spoke to The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson on the Royal Exclusive show.
It comes as the Duke and Duchess are set to fly to Colombia today for the couple’s latest tour, set to include trips to capital Bogotá, and Pacific regions Cartagena and Cali.
The pair are set to “experience the rich heritage of Colombia” in a visit that has been branded a “faux-royal” tour after an invite from the country’s Vice President Francia Márquez.
While their previous tour of Nigeria in May was said to be an opportunity to promote the Invictus Games, Royal expert Ms Murphy said she couldn’t see why they are heading to Colombia.
She told The Sun: “They have to have their own reasons to be saying yes to this, and I think it is a little bit baffling in comparison to Nigeria.
“When they went to Nigeria it was very clear that was an Invictus focused trip, I think there was a clear purpose for that trip.
“And, Meghan had discovered that she was 43 per cent Nigerian so it made sense, and also Harry’s long term in African countries, and the charity work he’s done on the continent already.”
Claiming the tour was “vague”, she added: “This just feels slightly random and yes we’re talking about themes they’re going to focus on, but it’s quite vague on exactly how they’re going to and why they’ve chosen Colombia to highlight those themes.
“One of the things is the conference in November, for child safety, which is obviously really important, but I’m still not sure what it has to do with them.
“They’re not going to the conference, it would make sense if they were.
“But they’re not and I don’t think they’re going to have any presence at the conference, I don’t understand why it’s being mentioned in connection with their visit.”
The Archewell Foundation is currently working towards fostering a safer online environment with The Parents’ Network, pushing tech giants to take responsibility for children’s safety.
Harry and Meghan’s latest trip is also expected to highlight the military community and female empowerment, themes said to be close to their hearts.
Their visit is said to precede another conference in Colombia in November which will tackle issues such as cyber-bullying, online exploitation, and the mental health impacts of these threats.
However, speaking of the difference between Harry and Meghan travelling in comparison to the Royal Family tours abroad, Ms Murphy asked “what level of input” could Archewell really have.
The royal expert said: “Members of the Royal Family have been to Colombia before, but of course when a working royal goes, such as the Duchess of Edinburgh did last November, they’re going to represent a country.
“Sophie was out there doing work on behalf of the UN. With Harry and Meghan’s trip, it’s hard to see what level of input they, or Archewell, could have had.
“What knowledge do they have on what is going on in the areas they’re visiting?” she probed.
On what the Sussexes hope to get out of the Colombia trip, Ms Murphy claimed she doesn’t understand the long term plan and how it fits into the purpose of Archewell.
And she believes the short term is just “vague”.
She claimed: “What I don’t understand is how this fits into their long term purpose, and purpose of Archewell.
“In the short term you can see there’s going to be a huge amount of tension over this tour, and probably they feel they want to highlight these areas they’ve spoken about, women’s empowerment, the military community, and it all sounds the intention is positive.
“I think they’ll be hoping they can shine a light on the things they think are important. But as I said, how much independent control have they had over this programme and how much knowledge do they have of already.
“I don’t get the long term thing. I always felt they work best when it’s very clear what they’re doing. Invictus is a really good example of this.
“This feels much more vague.”
It comes as Harry and Meghan’s Chief of Staff, John Kettler, quit his role just days before the trip.
The senior employee had only been working for the duke and duchess for three months, but was present at key events for the couple.
Now, insiders have revealed the “real reason” why he threw in the towel ahead of the controversial tour.
The Sun contacted Archewell for comment.
ROBERT JOBSON As Harry & Meghan’s chief aide moves on after three months, what has made 18 members of staff dramatically quit?
PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle are earning a reputation as tough task-masters.
It seems a notable number of their staff have struggled to meet the demands of their roles and have either walked or been pushed — by mutual consent, of course.
The latest departure in their revolving door of aides is chief of staff Josh Kettler, who has stepped down after just three months, citing a mutual agreement that the job was “not the right fit”.
The departure of the suave American, who bills himself as an “experienced executive accelerator, organiser and confidant” on his LinkedIn profile, is a little embarrassing for the needy couple as he was lauded on his arrival.
He had been extremely visible during his short tenure, notably spending three days with Harry at an Invictus Games event in Nigeria in May.
His departure also comes just ahead of the couple’s planned “royal” tour to Colombia, adding to the challenges they face in managing their public image and charitable endeavours since quitting the royals.
Of course, it is not the first time key staff members have walked away from the Sussexes.
An astonishing 18 members of staff have quit working for them in just a few years — nine since they moved to Montecito, California.
Many of their former Palace staff coined the term “Sussex Survivors’ Club” to describe themselves after they quit working for the couple.
Some even believed, only half-jokingly, they suffered a form of post-traumatic stress.
After the latest departure in California, one insider quipped: “Perhaps there should be a Montecito arm of the Sussex Survivors’ Club.”
This golden couple, who have tried to charm the world with their woke crusade, just do not seem to be able to hang on to staff.
But surely it can’t be their fault?
The evidence would suggest otherwise, with departures having come thick and fast.