Six Prince Harry and Meghan Markle tour revelations - bulletproof shield, Diana nod, dad dancing
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's tour of Colombia has continued for a second day with the couple's huge security operation becoming apparent as they continued their trip to the capital Bogota
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's 'royal-style' tour of Colombia has continued with their ring of steel security becoming apparent.
After an action-packed first day in Bogota, the couple continued their visit to the South American capital with a visit to a school before lunch with the vice president and a meeting with Invictus Games competitors from the country. Here are the biggest revelations from day two of the tour...
'Bandit country' visit
The couple's first stop of the day was La Giralda School in Bogota, where they met students to talk about supporting healthy lives, with a huge security presence in tow. A local taxi driver described the school as being in "bandit country" and warned journalists who were in the area covering the visit to "be careful".
The school the couple visited on Friday was in the Bogota district of Santa Fe which is seen as a particularly dangerous and violent suburb.
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The area is Bogota's red-light district, a deadly mix of prostitution, drugs and violence and best avoided at night, according to locals. It featured on Apple TV series No Go Zones - The World's Toughest Places - and was described as an area of "Colombian gangsters and pimps in charge and all manner of homeless people and addicts find their way to the wasteland of Bogota".
The ring of steel surrounding the Sussexes will raise eyebrows as Colombia has travel advisory warnings from the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office.
'Bullet-proof' shield
Meanwhile, when it came to the ring of steel, it emerged today that Harry and Meghan's security in Colombia includes an officer armed with a Kevlar shield to stop any potential shooter taking aim at the couple. At each event the couple have attended the man - part of the local security detail - has been seen jumping out of a vehicle ahead of the couple holding the folding shield.
During the visit to La Giralda school on Friday morning the shield was clearly visible behind Harry as he planted a tree in the grounds and on footage released by the Colombian government.
The shield - known as a ballistic briefcase - is also being used to protect the country's vice president Francia Marquez, who is hosting the visit and who has been the target of several assassination attempts. Last year her protection team found 7kg of explosive buried in a rural road leading to her home in the south western province of Cauca.
Just two months ago her father and six-year-old nephew escaped unharmed after gunmen shot up a car they were in, leaving in riddled with bullets. Security websites describe the ballistic briefcase as a discreet close protection and a rapid-deployment safety device. It’s non-threatening appearance and easy carry feature makes it ideal for executives, close protection officers and VIP bodyguards. It can be unfolded rapidly with one hand to provide a sizeable line of defense for ballistic and fragmentation threats.
Harry's direct instructions
On arrival at the school on the second day of the tour, Harry and meghan were greeted by the school’s headmaster Serafin OrdoìnÞez as well as VP Marquez. In footage released by her office, the Sussexes can be seen arriving for the visit.
According to professional lip reader Nicola Hickling, as the couple approach the headmaster and the vice president he tells Meghan: "Go ahead", before Meghan takes the lead then tells her hosts: "There you are."
Meghan's Diana tribute
During the visit to the school, Meghan looked smart in a Loro Piana linen blazer, black trousers and Chanel slingbacks. And she accessorised her look with a nod to her late mother-in-law Princess Diana by wearing her butterfly earrings.
It isn't the first time Meghan has been seen in the earrings and was first seen wearing as she headed on her first royal tour to Australia in 2018. At the time, Meghan gave onlookers a glimpse of the beautiful jewel-encrusted butterfly earrings as she pushed her hair behind her ears. She has also worn the earrings at the launch of her clothing collection for charity SmartWorks in 2019.
Yesterday during the press conference given by the Colombia vice president, it emerged Harry's late mother had planned to visit Colombia shortly before she died in 1997.
Harry often references his mother during his public appearances and the vice president said: "I think Prince Harry being here today after the dream of his mum’s of visiting this country is an opportunity to show the best of our nation, to show who Colombians are. We are people who in the midst of adversities do everything possible to give the best of ourselves."
Dad dancing
Meanwhile, also at the school, Harry was spotted 'dad dancing' echoing Prince William's wild moves at a Taylor Swift concert.
After the visit, footage of the trip to the school was released by the vice-president's office, and it showed Harry shaking his shoulders and wiggling his hips, reminiscent of the clip several weeks ago that showed his older brother William dancing to hit Taylor Swift Shake It Off at one of her Wembley gigs.
Rare Archie comment
Elsewhere on the trip to the school, Meghan made a rare comment about her and Harry's five-year-old son Prince Archie. There they visited a kindergarten class, where the Sussexes spent time with students, and worked on puzzles, while they conversed with the class. Meghan also exercised her Spanish skills for the visit.
"You’re the same age as my son Archie!" She said to a student in Spanish. Harry also practised his Spanish, asking students their names and age. The kindergarteners also performed a song for the Duke and Duchess before presenting them with gifts and handwritten letters.
School CEO Diana Basto told the Mirror : "It was so special for us to have Harry and Meghan come and visit us and the staff and children were all very excited. It was a lovely experience to have them here. They visited various parts of the school including the memorial museum section where they learned about people who have been killed in previous conflicts in Colombia's history.
"It was emotional for them and from there to the kindergarten and then finally onto the garden where they helped plant two trees. There was music and dancing as they went around the school and they joined in with the dancing. Then Harry had a go at the punching bag in the gym.
"Harry and Meghan were super excited when they were given the presents and because the children in the kindergarten are the same age as Archie."
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