Although Prince Harry did unexpectedly travel to the U.K. for his uncle’s funeral a few days ago despite the media originally claiming he wouldn’t (although he barely said a word to older brother, Prince William, if we are to believe reports) he is reportedly adamant that he won’t take his whole family there until he regains his private security which King Charles took away when he and Meghan Markle stepped down as senior royals in 2020.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise to learn that both Prince Harry and Meghan have come under fire for visiting Colombia, which both the U.S. and U.K. have issued warnings against traveling to because it is deemed unsafe.
Prince Harry has made his concerns for his family’s safety known on several occasions over the years. In a candid interview with ITV back in July, he explained why he didn’t want to risk visiting the U.K. with his wife and two children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, until he had the right security, saying: “All it takes is for one lone actor who reads this stuff to act on what they’ve read. And whether it’s a knife or acid, these are things that are genuine concerns for me. It’s one of the reasons why I won’t bring my wife back to this country.”
Although Prince Harry and Meghan had a *lot* of security in Colombia – which is perhaps even more than they would get in the U.K. – they are still being criticized for traveling there. Keep reading for more information…
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Prince Harry And Meghan Markle's Security For 4-Day Colombia Visit Reportedly Cost Almost $2M
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were invited to the South American country by Vice President Francia Márquez. Her office issued a statement to claim that the couple paid for the trip themselves, but their security – which cost almost $2M – was taken care of by her office, which many people were unhappy about.
Andrés Escobar, security chief of the city of Cali council, was one of those people, and he accused Márquez of "squandering public money" on "vanity," adding that "taxes were spent on rich white people for photo opportunities and social media." He also took to X to say the money spent on their security "could have been used to expand coverage of children's canteens, pay salaries of community mothers, seed capital for Afro communities or adapt sports venues practically in ruins."
Despite having high-level security in the country, many people still deemed their choice to visit Colombia dangerous and hypocritical, including royal expert Hilary Fordwich.
Prince Harry And Meghan Markle Are Called 'Hypocritical' For Traveling To Colombia
"This entire tour is the height of Harry's hypocrisy," Fordwich told Fox News Digital, calling it "yet another stop on their 'worldwide privacy tour.'" She added: "He has claimed he is concerned regarding security in the U.K. [but] Colombia is ranked far more dangerous."
Both the U.S. and U.K. have issued warnings for travel to Colombia. The U.S. Department of State reportedly has Colombia on a Level 3 travel advisory, urging visitors to "reconsider travel" due to "crime and terrorism." The U.K. also advises "against all but essential travel to parts of Colombia," and mentions the risk of kidnapping, crime, and terrorism.
Fordwich wasn't the only royal expert to call out the couple's hypocrisy. The King author Christopher Andersen echoed Fordwich's thoughts, and previously told the pub: "It does seem odd that Harry and Meghan consider London too dangerous to visit without royal protection but are perfectly willing to tour a country that is notorious for its drug-related violence."
"Their security detail in Colombia is described as massive, and it had better be," he added at the time. "Colombian Vice-President Francia Marquez, who invited Harry and Megan to visit her country and is accompanying them, has been the target of numerous death threats and assassination attempts," he pointed out.
