\
PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle ‘haven’t got a clue what they’re doing now they’ve lost all their power’, slammed a royal expert.
Victoria Murphy alleged the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who jetted to Colombia yesterday, have no clear purpose to be on the controversial trip.
7
7
7
The royal expert spoke to The Sun’s Royal Editor Matt Wilkinson on the Royal Exclusive show.
It comes as Harry and Meghan put on a loved-up display on the first day of their tour as they were welcomed in the capital Bogota by Colombia’s Vice President Francia Márquez and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo.
The couple beamed as they watched a performance at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts in Bogotá.
Mrs Murphy told The Sun: “We don’t know who they’re going to meet. When Sophie Duchess of Edinburgh met Francia Márquez, she was there representing Britain so it was very clear what Sophie represented, and it was not the interest of the Colombian government.
“That’s what the working royals have, their message, their purpose, their representation is very clear when they go to other countries.
“With Harry and Meghan it’s not clear what Archewell’s stance is on a lot of things, in the same way.
“There’s no doubt it will draw attention, but what is the purpose of that attention and how well thought through is it being channeled?”
The Sussexes spent around half-an-hour at the Vice President’s residence, where they exchanged welcome gifts and were offered tea, coffee and traditional pandebono – Colombian cheese bread.
Ms Márquez said she was inspired to ask Harry and Meghan to visit the country after being moved by their Netflix documentary.
The vice-president described their trip as a “very special visit” aimed at building bridges and joining forces against cyber-bullying, as well as promoting women’s leadership in Colombia.
Mr Wilkinson highlighted Harry and Meghan’s new project The Parents Network and the couple’s CBS sit down interview last week.
“This cause is absolutely brilliant. I think it’s a really important cause for them to be championing but will it get the attention it deserves?,” said Ms Murphy.
She continued: “I wonder whether they could have made more impact with it talking as working royals.
“I feel sometimes it’s hard to see how everything fits together.
Sussex staff resignations
By Robert Jobson
AN astonishing 18 members of staff have quit working for them in just a few years — nine since they moved to Montecito, California.
In late 2018, Meghan’s personal assistant Melissa Toubati quit.
It also emerged senior communications secretary Katrina McKeever left the Press team the same month.
Not long after, private secretary Samantha Cohen resigned.
In January 2019 Meghan’s female bodyguard of six months, who has never been named for security reasons, also quit.
By March, senior communications secretary Jason Knauf jumped ship and went to work for Prince William and Kate’s Royal Foundation.
Meghan also went through three nannies in just six weeks after baby son Archie was born in May 2019.
Harry and Meghan’s PR chief Sarah Latham left the couple after they quit the UK in 2020.
Meghan parted ways with talent agent Nick Collins, of The Gersh Agency, who was with her since she was a struggling actress.
And her close friend Keleigh Thomas-Morgan, a partner at Hollywood PR firm Sunshine Sachs, split from Meghan after the couple moved to the US.
The Sussexes recruited Toya Holness, former communications chief for New York City Department of Education, but she lasted 18 months and left shortly after the Invictus Games in 2022.
Just a year after their Megxit dash, Catherine St-Laurent was ousted as chief executive of their charitable foundation Archewell.
Meanwhile, Mandana Dayani, who was made president of Archewell, stepped down after less than 18 months in her role.
Oscar-nominated film producer Ben Browning was named head of content at Archewell in March 2021. The foundation was supposed to be producing documentaries and podcasts.
But podcast Archetypes was dropped by Spotify and he left in January 2023.
Two months earlier, Rebecca Sanares left her role as head of audio at Archewell.
“With Harry and Meghan I feel they would benefit from being more focused on certain things and hammering home to the public ‘this is what we represent’.”
During Harry and Meg’s chat with Ms Marquez, the Colombian leader said she shared the same ideals amid their campaign to make the digital world safer for children.
The Sussexes also visited a local school, the Colegio Cultura Popular, yesterday and joined a summit, in collaboration with their Archewell Foundation, about forging a healthier online space.
They spoke to children in a session where the class talked about their favourite and least favourite parts of social media and technology.
Meghan said the group should aim to be “self-reliant and not tech-reliant” while Harry questioned them on the conversations they have with their families about managing their social media platforms.
It comes after Victoria Murphy previously branded the Colombia tour “baffling” and “random”.
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.”
Claiming this trip 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.”
Meanwhile, a fellow royal expert claimed Harry and Meghan are “difficult to work for” following the resignation of their Chief of Staff.
Josh Kettler quit the couple just days before the Colombia trip, although it is understood the timing is unrelated.
Colombia tour
By Jonathan Rose
MEGHAN Markle couldn’t keep her hands off Prince Harry as the loved-up couple packed on the PDA during the first day of their Colombia tour.
The Duchess of Sussex, 43, beamed as she watched a performance at the Delia Zapata National Centre for the Arts in Bogotá with her hubby on Thursday.
In one affectionate moment Meghan placed her head on Harry’s shoulder before he wrapped his arm around her and kissed his wife on the head.
Other photos showed the pair holding hands and putting on a very affectionate display in the South American nation.
The Sussexes appeared to be unable to keep their hands off each other as performers danced at the first day of engagements.
In another tender picture, the Duchess placed her hand on Prince Harry’s knee as she giggled with her husband.
The pair also stared lovingly into one another’s eyes as they clapped away at the end of the performance.
Meghan wore a burgundy maxi dress designed by Johanna Ortiz, who has Colombian heritage, and worth $2,150.
Harry and Meghan were met in the capital Bogota on Thursday by Colombia’s vice-president Francia Marquez and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo.
They spent around half-an-hour at the vice-president’s residence, where they exchanged welcome gifts and were offered tea, coffee and traditional pandebono – Colombian cheese bread.
The Sussexes are being given a full security detail throughout their visit alongside Ms Marquez, who invited the couple to travel to Colombia for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour.
Ms Marquez said she was inspired to ask Harry and Meghan to visit the country after being moved by their Netflix documentary.
“I saw the Netflix series about their life, their story and that moved me and motivated me to say that this is a woman who deserves to come to our country and tell her story and her exchange will undoubtedly be an empowerment to so many women in the world,” Ms Marquez said.
The Sussexes’ team has not confirmed how the trip is being funded, whether privately, through Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation, by the Colombian government or other means.
The quasi-royal tour, which has many similarities to the programme of an official royal overseas visit, is the Sussexes’ second this year, after their three-day visit to Nigeria at the invitation of the West African nation’s chief of defence staff.
Harper’s Bazaar magazine, covering the trip as the only words pool, said Ms Marquez shared her personal admiration for Harry’s late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
Meghan and Ms Marquez were pictured embracing as they greeted each other warmly, with Ms Marquez clasping Harry’s hands in her own as they were introduced.
The Sussexes were colour co-ordinated style-wise, with the duchess in a navy halterneck top and trousers and Harry in a dark blue suit and light blue shirt.
7
7
7
7
