Meghan Markle and Prince Harry looked loved up as they held hands while visiting traditional Afro-Caribbean village, San Basilio de Palenque on Saturday.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex beamed as they made the most of the third day of their four day trip to Colombia and headed to the historic city of Cartagena.
The pair appeared carefree and affectionate towards each other, as Meghan gripped Harry’s arm during a walk through the village.
Meghan looked typically chic in white linen skirt, which she paired with a sleeveless tank top and Panama hat.
She accessorised with stylish aviator sunglasses, Princess Diana’s £17,800 Gold Tank Française Watch, a £5800 Cartier Love Yellow Gold Bracelet and she completed her ensemble with black sandals.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry looked loved up as they held hands while visiting traditional Afro-Caribbean village, San Basilio de Palenque on Saturday
Prince Harry looked smart in a breezy light blue linen shirt which he paired with cream trousers and brown shoes.
They were met with a warm welcome as locals clapped, cheered and waved at the couple who were accompanied by their security team.
Harry and Meghan walked through the village square where stalls with traditional handicrafts had been set up as they chatted animatedly to onlookers.
The village was set up by freed African slaves almost 300 years ago and has been described as a ‘little corner of Africa’.
The stop was particularly significant for Meghan, as when she visited Nigeria in May she said she was ’43 per cent Nigerian’.
Today the quasi royal tour will end with a trip to the city of Cali where the couple will attend a music festival and meet local youngsters.
Meghan’s speech in Cali will touch on the theme of ‘Afro Women and Power’ and is due to be held at the city’s main theatre.
At the village of San Basilio de Palenque, local rapper Andris Padilla Julio, 32, performed for the Duke and Duchess after they toured the area.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex beamed as they made the most of the third day of their four day trip to Columbia
Meghan accessorised with stylish aviator sunglasses, Princess Diana ‘s £17,800 Gold Tank Française Watch, a £5800 Cartier Love Yellow Gold Bracelet and she completed her ensemble with black sandals
The pair looked appeared carefree and affectionate towards each other, as Meghan gripped Harry’s arm during a walk through the village
Meghan looked typically chic in white linen skirt, which she paired with a sleeveless blouse and Panama hat
Prince Harry looked smart in a breezy light blue linen shirt which he paired with cream trousers and brown shoes
Known by the rap name Afroneto, Padilla is the creator of a style known RFP or Folkloric Palanquero Rap.
He said: ‘I spoke with Harry and his wife and Francia Marquez about our plan to build an arts performance centre here.
‘I gave them a document with what we want to do and now all they need to do is put in the money that we need.
‘They said they would help. Harry complemented me on my RFP flow and my outfit.’
Josefa Hernandez, 38, a contractor for Colombia’s Ministry of Culture who served as master of ceremonies for the visit, said: ‘This visit has been very symbolic for us.
‘The Duke and Duchess broke their protocol to thank us for opening the doors of our community to them.
‘They told us that they understood the importance of San Basilio de Palenque for the history of Colombia and the world.
‘First they visited San Basilio de Palenque’s cultural centre where Franca Marquez spoke and the national anthem of Columbia and the anthem of Palenque were played.
Meghan and Harry walk through the streets of San Basilio de Palenque in Columbia
Members of a children’s choir wave as they wait for the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan
Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia
Speaking at the village Meghan said: ‘We understand very well the importance and meaning of what this town is, it has become very clear to us. We understand what Palenque represents for Colombia and for the world, we thank you for sharing with us everything you showed to us’
‘A local wise woman performed a ritual predicting prosperity for the Duke, the Duchess and the Vice President.
‘Then they were given a tour by a local historian explained the story of how the town was created.’
Columbia has the third largest population of African descent after Nigeria and Brazil and the trio host vice president Francia Marquez is the first black woman to hold the position. Speaking in 2014 to Amnesty Ms Marquez said Colombia’s Afro women ‘must keep going’, despite the risks they face.
She believed women have a key role to play because their ‘caring instinct’ drives them to protect not only their children, but also their territory, the environment and their communities.
‘We need to feminize politics and fill humanity with maternal love. ‘War has always been driven by machismo, by the patriarchy and by business between men. I think these men need to stop being so aggressive in life and think about feminizing themselves.’
Earlier in the day, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrived in Cartagena, the historic town which sits on the Caribbean Sea, and looked chic as they stepped off the plane
The couple got into the spirit of the music festival as they played the bongo drums at a school
The couple appeared to be wearing earpieces, perhaps to aid translation from Spanish to English, as they took part in the class
The Sussexes also looked cosy during the music class as they shared a sweet moment when Harry whispered into Meghan’s ear
The Petronio Alvarez music festival Harry and Meghan attended yesterday is the largest Afro-Colombian celebration in the country and held every August.
In the village today, Harry and Meghan were treated to a show of singing and dancing by locals wearing traditional African themed outfits.
Sadly for the couple, the encroaching sunset meant they only had around twenty minutes in the square before leaving in their convoy.
They did pause briefly to admire a statue of San Basilio’s founder, Benkos Bioho.
After freeing himself from his Spanish rulers, Bioho, originally from modern-day Guinea Bissau, established the town, which has Unesco heritage status, as an ‘enclave of liberation’ for emancipated slaves.
Access was strictly limited and only the Sussex approved media team was able to get anywhere near the couple.
Meghan opted for a two piece from one of her favourite designers, Johanna Ortiz, as she attended the workshop
A spokesperson for the vice president’s office said: ‘The event was a special meeting to reconnect with African roots; to learn about the experiences and living conditions of black, Afro-descendant, Raizal and Palanquero peoples in the region and to strengthen human and cultural development programs that promote the guarantee of cultural and collective rights in this territory.’
Speaking at the village Meghan said: ‘We understand very well the importance and meaning of what this town is, it has become very clear to us. We understand what Palenque represents for Colombia and for the world, we thank you for sharing with us everything you showed to us.’
Prince Harry told the crowd: ‘It feels like we have already seen the whole country.’
He added: ‘What we are seeing here is everything that is a community, do not forget the message of the Vice President, they are stronger together, they are stronger united as one.’
Earlier, Harry and Meghan had kicked off the third day of their quasi royal tour of Colombia with a visit to a Caribbean drumming school.
Meghan looked demure as she and Harry sat at the drums ahead of the workshop
Giving it a go! Harry appeared to try his hand at playing the drum while Meghan watched on
The Sussexes were joined at the workshop by the Vice President of Colombia, Francia Márquez
Meghan and Harry walked off the plane hand-in-hand as they arrived in the city
Meghan looked chic in her Johanna Ortiz two-piece as she chatted to a police officer on arrival at the airport
The Sussexes, along with Ms Marquez and her husband, participated in a drum lesson led by the students, followed by a performance from some of the locals which brought all the VIPs to their feet.
School director Rafael Ramos was ecstatic to see the duchess’s reaction to the performances and said: ‘I love seeing Meghan’s big, big smile — I can tell she’s excited!’
Following the performance, Ms Marquez gave an impassioned speech about the inherent importance of tradition when it comes to preserving Colombian heritage.
Speaking to the crowd, which included members of her own family who she brought along for the day, she expressed that towns like Cartagena represent the heart of Colombian culture and how the art of drumming in particular symbolizes freedom for Black communities around the world.
She also acknowledged that part of her decision to invite the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Colombia was because she views them as a joint symbol of resistance and two vital voices against injustice.
‘The Duke and Duchess came to Colombia…this is Colombia. This is where the roots of our ancestors and our forefathers are from, ‘ said Vice President Marquez. ‘A community like this cannot be displaced.’
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex moved from the capital Bogota to the coastal town of Cartagena with a usual heavy security detail.
