Meghan and Harry's Colombian 'quasi-royal' tour: Duchess speaks in Spanish during her 'Afro women and power' talk as she rolls out the same Procter and Gamble yet story again - despite eyebrows being raised about its validity

PUBLISHEDSun Aug 18 2024 16:57 GMT

UPDATEDMon Aug 19 2024 01:45 GMT

Meghan Markle spoke Spanish during her 'Afro women and power' talk on the final day of her quasi-royal tour of Colombia with Prince Harry.

The Duchess of Sussex gave a speech at the event in the city of Cali's theatre, which was surrounded with a security ring of steel including dozens of armed police and soldiers.

Meghan proudly retold her go-to tale about how she wrote to Procter & Gamble aged 11 to ask the brand to change its sexist soap commercial.

But before she spoke as part of the panel, there appeared to be heckler among the crowds.

The Duchess also paid tribute to her mother and gushed over her three-year-old daughter Lilibet.

'[I] encourage our daughter [...] at three she has found her voice and we are so proud of that,' she said.

'For me I find inspiration in so many of the strong women around me. My mother being one of them. Life is full of surprises and can be quite complex.'

Meghan notably neglected to mention the Princess of Wales and the late Queen Elizabeth in her speech, although she has praised both royal women in the past.

The Duchess opened her intervention at the debate speaking in Spanish and calling Ms Marquesa 'my friend', before going on to pay tribute to Harry in English.

Meghan learned Spanish in 2002 when interning at the U.S. embassy in Argentina.

Meghan Markle speaks to the audience during the 'Afro women and power' forum

Meghan speaks as part of the panel at the Afro women and power forum in Cali

Meghan Markle on stage for the Afro women and power debate in Cali

Meghan (second left) speaks as part of the panel at the Afro women and power forum in Cali

Prince Harry joined his wife Meghan on stage for a group photograph after her speech

Prince Harry on stage with his wife Meghan for a group photograph following her speech

Harry and Meghan on stage for a group photograph after her speech

People attend the event dedicated to celebrating and empowering Afro-Colombian women

To a huge cheer Meghan said: 'I would like to begin in Spanish because we are in your country, my husband and I, and I can feel this embrace from Colombia.

'It's incredible, so many, many thanks, because the culture, the history, everything has been like a dream on this trip.

'Sorry if my Spanish is not perfect because I learned it 20 years ago in Argentina, but I'm trying here because I can feel this community and this feeling which is the best in the world.'

She added: 'So thank you very much to the vice president, my friend, many thanks.'

A Colombian journalist said: 'For Meghan to say my friend in that way is such a powerful statement and shows just how close they have become. People will take note of that.'

Meghan then continued in English to retell her childhood story about writing to Procter & Gamble. 'I was very, very fortunate at a young age to feel as though my voice was being heard,' she said.

Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez greets Colombia's former Education Minister Aurora Vergara next to Harry and Meghan

Harry and Meghan smile and clap during the Afro women and power forum in Cali

Prince Harry and Meghan attend a forum on Afro women and power in Cali

Meghan appeared on Nick News after lobbying the manufacturing company to change a TV ad for dishwashing liquid in 1993

Prince Harry greets people during a forum on Afro women and power in Cali

Meghan greets people during forum on Afro women and power in Cali

'And I think that is a luxury that a lot of young girls and women aren't often afforded.

'I was 11-years-old, and you may know this story, I had seen a commercial that I felt was sexist, and I wrote a letter, several letters, about it, and the commercial was changed.

'When you're 11-years-old, you realise very quickly that your small voice can have a very large impact.

'I think it creates the framework to feel empowered to use your voice, because you know you're being listened to.'

The Duchess often uses the childhood tale in her speeches and interviews, despite some questions being raised about its validity.

The account was stripped out of a Vanity Fair cover story in 2017 after 'fact checkers raised questions about its accuracy,' a biography claimed in 2022.

The anecdote was cut from the cover story 'after consulting P&G and advertising historians,' according to Tom Bower's book Revenge: Meghan, Harry and the War Between the Windsors.

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle greet attendees on arrival to the Afro women and power forum

Harry and Meghan greet people on arrival to the Afro women and power debate

Meghan waves at attendees at the Afro women and power forum in the city of Cali

Meghan addresses one of the attendees at the event in the city of Calion Sunday

Meghan and Harry on the front row for the Afro women and power debate

Meghan and Harry raise their arms in the air at the Afro women and power event

Harry listens through an ear piece to a simultaneous translation at the event

A general view of the 'Afro women and power' forum at the Municipal Theatre in Cali

An Afro-Colombian music group to receive Harry and Meghan for the Afro Women and Power Forum

The Municipal de Cali theatre prior to the arrival of Harry and Meghan for the Afro women and power debate

The couple smile as they greet and wave at attendees at the Afro women and power forum

Meghan and Harry talk to people at the Afro women and power debate in Cali

Meghan continued: 'Does it ever feel good to use your voice and no one hears you. That's not ideal.

'So for us and the work that we do with our Archewell Foundation, certainly the work that we do as parents, as I do as a mother, is ensuring that young girls feel as though their voices are being heard, and also that young boys are being raised to listen and to hear those young women as well.

'And the same goes for adult women and men. This isn't something that can be solely responsible and in the hands of just women.

'Yes, we work incredibly well together as a team, but as my husband, is great testament to the role of men in this of empowering women, of allowing them to know that their voices are heard, starting at a young age all the way through adulthood, is key.

'So at the Archewell Foundation, we are very, very dedicated to creating a sense of community, but also one in which women are heard and that their ideas are really felt and implemented in the programming that we do.

'So we just recently launched a program called the parents network, which is for parents who have lost children or have encountered the worst possible challenges and level of grief as a result of online harms, and allowing those mothers, those parents, to be heard, is very key to the work that we're doing.'

People are seen outside the Municipal Theater of Cali before the arrival of Harry and Meghan

Women gather before the start of the Afro women and power debate on Sunday, which is being attended by Harry and Meghan

Women queue while waiting to enter to the Afro women and power forum

A group of women gather in a queue while waiting to enter the Afro women and power debate

A woman is pictured outside the Municipal theatre in Cali where Meghan is giving a speech about female empowerment

Harry and Meghan's visit to Colombia hosted by the vice president Francia Márquez. (Pictured, the municipal theatre in Cali)

A poster for the Afro women in power debate in Cali, Colombia on August 18, 2024

At the end Harry joined his wife on stage for a group photograph - holding hands on stage with her - and they were later due to meet 'young people' in the region before heading off to the festival later in the afternoon.

The Duchess wore a sleeveless white shirt with a patterned skirt, while her husband opted for another light-coloured shirt for the event.

Earlier in the day, the couple arrived at Cali's municipal theatre just before 11am local time and were ushered to their front row seats.

Next to them was vice president Francia Marquez - the first black woman to hold the position - who is showing the pair around the city.

The Duke and Duchess clapped as the forum was introduced and the panel of six women took their seats.

As they were introduced the forum host pointed out that they had entered the theatre to a love song, and Meghan was pictured nodding and laughing.

Harry was seen passing bottles of water along the row to Meghan and other VIPs as the event kicked off.

He listened through an ear piece to a simultaneous translation and at points Meghan could be seen nodding her head as the panel spoke.

Colombia has the third largest population of African descent after Nigeria and Brazil and the couple's host for their trip is vice president Marquez.

The Afro women in power forum will appeal to Meghan, who has referenced her Nigerian ancestry several times.

Crowds of people patiently wait to get inside the municipal theatre in Cali where Meghan is taking part in a debate

The city's main theatre has been surrounded - as have all the other venues - with a security ring of steel including dozens of armed police and soldiers

Colombia has the third largest population of African descent after Nigeria and Brazil (Pictured, armed police keeping close watch as people wait outside the theatre)

The Afro women in power forum will appeal to Meghan who has referenced her Nigerian ancestry several times (A woman is pictured outside the city's theatre)

Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Harry during a visit to San Basilio de Palenque

The Duchess of Sussex is due to give a speech at the event at an Afro women in power debate

Prince Harry and Duchess of Sussex Meghan Harry during a visit to San Basilio de Palenque

Harry and Meghan pictured with drums at the Escuela Tambores de Cabildo on August 17

Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan with Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez and her husband Yernei Pinillo in Bogota

There have also been photo opportunities for the couple with youngsters in Bogota

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on the third day of their visit to Colombia, attending a Caribbean drumming school

Photo opportunities on this non-royal tour are aplenty - the couple meet traditional dancers

The couple met dance students from the Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata

Ms Marquez and the Duchess are said to have developed a 'close bond' in the last few days since meeting in person, and have been pictured hugging warmly each time they meet.

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,' she said.

'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.'

Meanwhile the Petronio Alvarez music festival Harry and Meghan which they will attend is the largest Afro-Colombian celebration in the country and held every August.

It opened earlier this week and ends on Sunday night with a 'battle of the bands' and draws heavily on Afro-Colombian groups, with stalls selling food and dancing through the streets and the main stage is at a sports complex called Unidad Deportiva Alberto Galinda.

Harry and Meghan clapping during a performance at La Boquilla drum school in Cartagena

Harry and Meghan participate in a drum lesson led by Colombian students

Prince Harry and Meghan arrive in San Basilio de Palenque, Colombia

Meghan dressed in white linen skirt, sleeveless blouse and Panama hat, while Harry wore a blue linen shirt

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex walk through the streets on day three of their visit

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Since its foundation in 1997 it has evolved into a significant celebration of Afro-Colombian music and culture in Latin America.

It was aimed at uniting artists from Colombia's Pacific coast and giving them a platform to express and celebrate their rich cultural heritage.

Ana Copete, the director of last year's version of the festival, said at the time: 'What this festival has done in the past 27 years is to tell Colombia and the world that we are a multi-ethnic and multicultural country.

'We, as Afro-Colombians, have forged the identity of this country; we have built this country, hand in hand with others. And we deserve the dignity of our culture, not only as folklore but as a way of life.'

But critic Addo Obed Possu, who makes drums and other traditional instruments for the festival, was quoted in a report last year as claiming it was becoming too political.

Crowds formed around Harry and Meghan as they arrived in the area on the third day of their visit

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He cited the inclusion of big acts like salsa band Grupo Niche he said had nothing to do with the musical culture, saying: 'It takes away funds from a black musician, who comes from the deep territories of the Pacific Coast, to perform traditional music and be on the spotlight during the festival.

Meghan Markle to give speech about 'Afro women and power' during trip to Colombia

'For example, with the amount of money they pay Grupo Niche, they could double the pay of each of the groups that come from the four participating regions.'

Wherever Harry and Meghan go in Colombia the same complaint always seems to follow them.

You hear it in the narrow streets of La Candelaria in Bogota and within the ancient walled city of Cartagena 600 miles away on the country's Caribbean coast, where the couple touched down on Saturday, the latest stop on their faux royal tour.

It is that while locals are only too aware the Sussexes are in town – the excess of armed police, sirens, blocked-off roads and traffic jams are perpetual reminders – it irks that they never see them in the flesh.

'It's very strange, they move like ghosts,' said Arturo, a waiter, sheltering from the Andean sun under a palm frond on Avenida Jimenez de Quesada on Thursday afternoon.

Members of a children's choir wave as they wait for the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan

Harry and Meghan also met a volleyball team at the Center for Veterans Rehabilitation in Bogota

At each carefully selected venue, the duke and duchess arrive and depart unseen, invariably exiting at speed via an underground car park or hidden side street in a roaring phalanx of flashing Land Cruisers.

While their elusiveness irritates some, others in Bogota and Cartagena remain determinedly incurious – 'they're nothing special' and 'who cares?' are common refrains.

The couple rounded off the third day of their royal tour by visiting traditional Afro-Caribbean village, San Basilio de Palenque.

The trip to the village involved a half hour helicopter ride from Cartagena and then a 15 minute drive along a pot holed road lined with soldiers and at one point a tank.

To beat the 30c heat and humidity Meghan dressed in white linen skirt, sleeveless blouse and Panama hat. Harry had a light blue linen shirt and cream trousers and seemed uncomfortable in the heat with sweat stains under his arms.

They were met with a warm welcome as locals clapped, cheered and waved at the couple who were accompanied by their usual security team.

Meghan's speech in full

(bold section said in Spanish)

On lessons in her life, Meghan Markle said: 'I'd like to start in Spanish because we are in your country, my husband and I, and because I feel the embrace in Colombia. It's incredible.

'So thank you, thank you very much, because the culture, the history, everything has been like a dream on this trip.

'And I'm sorry that my Spanish isn't perfect, because I learned it in Argentina 20 years ago, but I'm trying [it] here because I can feel this community and this feeling is the best in the world.

'So thank you very much to the vice president, my friend, thank you very much. Well, now in English.

'I would say, from my standpoint, that I was very fortunate that from a very young age to feel as though my voice was being heard. And I think that is a luxury that a lot of young girls and women aren't often afforded.

'I was 11-years-old, and you may know this story, I had seen a commercial that I felt was sexist, and I wrote a letter, several letters, about it, and the commercial was changed when you're 11-years-old, and you realise very quickly that your small voice can have a very large impact.

'I think it creates the framework to feel empowered to use your voice, because you know you're being listened to. It doesn't ever feel good to use your voice and no one hears you. That's not ideal.

'And the same goes for adult women and men. This isn't something that can be solely responsible and in the hands of just women.

'Yes, we work incredibly well together as a team, but as my husband is great testament to, the role of men in this of empowering women, of allowing them to know that their voices are heard, starting at a young age all the way through adulthood, is key.

'So we just recently launched a programme called The Parents Network, which is for parents who have lost children or have encountered the worst possible challenges and level of grief as a result of online harms, and allowing those mothers, those parents, to be heard, is very key to the work that we're doing.

'We also have something called The Welcome Project where we are working with women, specifically, who have been displaced.

'And really giving them projects and work that are comparable to the work that I have done in the UK with something called the Hub Community Kitchen which was also women and community hearing each other, supporting each other.

'You know, you might be cooking together, you might be doing a craft together, but what are you doing at the same time [is that] you're working on your mental health, you're working on your emotional healing, you're working towards supporting each other with micro finance and business building and partnership.

'So these are all the ways in which I see the spirit of community and of us supporting each other as women play themselves out in so many different facets of our lives.'

After being asked about what inspires her, the Duchess said: 'For me, I think I find inspiration in so many of the strong women that are around me. My mother being one of them.

'I think life is full of surprises and can be quite complex. And we (as Meghan turned to the Colombian vice president) have talked about over the past few days you finding your inspiration and this fighting spirit and for me, we talked about the power of words as well.

'So much of how I approach things is through the lens of [it's] less about the fight, that's not interesting to me, and more about how do we show up in this space and wash things over with love and kindness and generosity.

'And we talked about this the other day and of course that is part of that same spirit that you have in you. That you see something wrong and you go to fix it. Maybe that's just a very female thing. Whether it's a fan or something else.

'That's what we do. As women we are multi-taskers and we are fixers. And so when I try to look at the conditions in which we'll make women most comfortable in the space, that's multifaceted.

'And that includes finding ways to create political space, where women's voices can be heard.

'In business, where women can have a seat at the table and be in positions of leadership, having examples as you do with your vice president.

'We all know how much representation matters. We all know that if you see someone who looks like you, who talks like you, who comes from a community like yours, that you can believe it's possible to also be in a similar position of power so you're not underestimating yourself, you're not underestimating your worth, you're not underestimating your future.

'Instead, you're leaning into the possibility that every single thing can happen because you have conditions surrounding you and examples in front of you that indicate that you, too, can help to change the world.

'And I think in the small ways that women are doing that each day and the larger ways that we are doing that as a community, those are the elements that continue to inspire me to use my voice.

'Because I also recognise how small it feels when you don't. It doesn't feel great to suffer in silence or even just sit in silence if in those moments you want to be heard or if you have something to say.

'So I think part of the role-modeling that I certainly try to do as a mother is to encourage our daughter - at three she has found her voice and we are so proud of that, because that is how we, as I was saying, create the conditions in which there is a ripple effect of young girls and young women knowing that if someone else is encouraging them to use their voice and be heard, that's what they are going to do.

'They are going to create a very different environment than so many of us grew up in, where our voices were meant to be smaller and now, in raising them, we're changing the conditions and the environment where everyone has space to be the best version of themselves.'

Making her final remarks to the panel, Meghan Markle said as Prince Harry listened from a seat in the audience: 'I think when we really look at how we can continue to inspire and create change, all of the examples I was listing earlier from our standpoint, certainly through the Archwell Foundation, are key elements in doing that.

'And I can start at the very grassroots level, I do believe that also starts at home, modelling that behaviour very young and seeing it work its way through.

'From my standpoint, how I will continue to express this, both through our foundation and through being able to move through the world, I suppose, is just looking at this as my chapter of joy.

'And the more that you are able to look at your life and really, truly, recognise that if you're going to be grateful for your life, you have to be grateful for all aspects of it.

'The parts that were opportunities of growth and may have felt very difficult as well as the parts that feel inspiring, joyful and full.

'I think part of the role-modelling doesn't necessarily need to be a large plan, it just needs to be an intention and my intentionality is to enjoy this chapter and to be able to move through every piece of that as best as I can, modelling that if we are in the spirit of gratitude and of generosity, how we are able to connect with each other as women and how we are able to move through the world in a much freer way, I think is part of how we continue to create the conditions that I was speaking about earlier.

'And you may have noticed, my husband and I were talking about it this morning, I just really relaxed on this trip - that's probably because it's Colombia and you all know how to have fun.

'There is something so liberating about being able to be yourself and be comfortable in your skin and be surrounded in a space that is excited to see you exactly the way that you are.

'I think that is part of the chapter for me, of joy, that will hopefully continue to inspire and allow me to keep doing the work that we love to do, which is to just be of service and to see other people live their lives through that same joyful spirit.'

Meghan and Harry's Colombian 'quasi-royal' tour: Duchess speaks in Spanish during her 'Afro women and power' talk as she rolls out the same Procter and Gamble yet story again - despite eyebrows being raised about its validity

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Meghan Markle to give speech about 'Afro women and power' during trip to Colombia

Meghan's speech in full

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