Royal news live: Why Harry ‘desperately’ misses UK and wants to ‘be admired more’, duke’s friend claims

The Duchess of Sussex has lent her support to Colombian children who are openly speaking about their mental health.

Meghan, 43, said she was “so, so proud of them” when the young people she and Prince Harry met on their tour said they were using dance to help them manage their emotions.

Meghan Markle took the opportunity to pay tribute to Prince Harry while speaking at a women’s event in Colombia.

Praising the Duke of Sussex, 39, for being a supportive partner, the duchess, 43, said: “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.

“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.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were banned from Buckingham Palace the night before Queen Elizabeth’s funeral.

Royal expert Roya Nikkhah explained that the decision was based upon their status as non-working royals.

“The Sussexes also understood they would be at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the funeral alongside the rest of the royal family, when Charles and Camilla hosted a reception for foreign heads of state,” she wrote in The Sunday Times.

“They were initially asked to the event but their invitations were later ‘rescinded’, with the Palace clarifying the event was for ‘working members of the royal family’ only.’”

A body language expert has weighed in on how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle conducted themselves on their Colombia tour.

On day three, the couple visited a drumming school as part of the trip’s aim to highlight the local culture.

“Day three of this tour threw up some body language rituals that seemed to suggest it was Meghan in the lead as she was from their arrival, stepping into the greeting rituals with a keenness, a perfect smile and almost regal grace while Harry appears to be lurking, waiting his turn or standing behind Meghan looking slightly downcast,” Judi James told The Mirror.

“Meghan has clearly perfected the art of the gracious perma-smile but Harry’s expressions appeared to fluctuate, smiling, laughing and gesticulating one minute but looking more disconnected the next as he waits his turn.”

The trip follows the couple’s successful visit to Nigeria earlier this year, which marked the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.

The late Queen Elizabeth has been praised for a skit she did with Paddington Bear for her Platinum Jubilee celebrations in 2022.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who wrote the afternoon tea-themed scene, said: “She did it brilliantly and with evident enjoyment.”

He also explained that as Paddington wasn’t there and the Queen was talking to an empty chair, it was an impressive example of acting.

“Paddington’s not really there,” Cottrell-Boyce explained, The Telegraph reports. “So it’s technically an amazing performance.”

The Duchess of Sussex took the opportunity to show off her Spanish-speaking skills on the Sussex’s recent tour of Colombia.

Speaking at the ‘Afro women and power’ event, she 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.”

Meghan previously learned the language while studying abroad in 2002. The recent tour was designed to “illuminate Colombia’s role as a beacon of culture and innovation”.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are no longer a topic of “conversation” in the US, it has been claimed.

A friend of the royal family told The Times: “What they haven’t been able to do is create a public presence that’s respected and popular.

“I was in LA recently and was struck by how they’re not the topic of conversation.

“Everyone wanted to know about the King and Kate’s health. Harry and Meghan have dropped out of the conversation.”

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have been praised for “letting their guard down” and having fun on their Colombia tour.

Designed to “illuminate Colombia’s role as a beacon of culture and innovation”, Harry and Meghan had plenty of opportunities to enjoy themselves on the four-day trip.

An insider told The Mirror: “They have finally let their guard down and are just being themselves. It’s no secret the Duke and Duchess both love music, especially hip-hop, salsa and dancing, so to get to do this on their Colombia tour was a dream come true. They danced like they did not care who was watching, and that was so endearing.”

The couple previously cited a desire to live a more independent life when they stepped down as working royals in 2020.

The vice president of Colombia has been slammed for inviting the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to the country for an official tour.

Francia Márquez has been accused of pandering to royalty instead of her own people by her right-wing rival Maria Fernanda Cabal.

“The invitation to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex brings absolutely no cultural exchange or anything of the sort,” she said, as reported by The Telegraph.

“It is part of the showmanship of a vice president who is disconnected from the reality of the country.

“The vice-president is black and, as a minority, should set an example of greatness, of affection towards the population, especially the poor, without resentment or hatred.

“She should seek out even minimal projects that the community needs, stand by the people, not by royalty.”

A Colombian local was confused by the arrival of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on their unofficial tour of the country.

Ahead of the couple’s arrival a former slave down, San Basilio de Palenque, Justo Valdés, a 70-year-old singer, questioned: “Who’s Meghan?”

A local journalist, who asked to be kept anonymous, told The Telegraph that they believed the tour was a deliberate distraction from issues facing the country.

“People are expecting the government to address these issues rather than focus on a high-profile event with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” they said.

“Although addressing and confronting cyberbullying in children is an important issue, it is not the most pressing problem we face.”