Meghan’s sweet comment about Archie during Colombia trip

By Victoria Ward
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex practised their Spanish as they chatted to school pupils on the second day of their Colombia tour.
The couple visited public school Colegio La Giralda, in the rundown district of Santa Fe, Bogota, where they joined an art session, learnt meditation techniques and helped plant trees.
The government and police took no chances with the high-profile visit, deploying at least 16 armoured police vehicles, while armed officers and soldiers patrolled the grounds and local roads were closed.
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The visit was designed to celebrate “education, emotional well-being, and community spirit” and the Sussexes were photographed hugging, high-fiving and holding hands with some of the children.
Prince Harry also indulged in a spot of dancing, showing off his moves for a second consecutive day.
He briefly shook his shoulders to the percussion music played by some of the students in traditional Colombian dress before laughingly indicating to observers that he was done.
The Duchess of Sussex told one child in Spanish: “You’re the same age as my son Archie!” Prince Harry asked students their names and ages.
The Duchess wore a favourite pair of butterfly earrings that once belonged to her late mother-in-law, Diana, Princess of Wales.
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She first wore the earrings during a royal tour of Australia in 2018, following the announcement that she was expecting her first child, Prince Archie.
They are said to have been given to her by Prince Harry to mark the pregnancy.
Their latest outing came after Francia Marquez, Colombia’s vice-president, shared her admiration for the late Princess and suggested that the Sussexes’ visit was a fulfilment of her wish to visit the country before she died.
The Duchess helped a five-year-old pupil called Manuela plant a walnut tree, while Harry helped dig soil to plant a guayacan tree, a species native to South America.
Some of the children presented the Duke and Duchess with Colombian-style ponchos and dolls for their children, Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, three, as well as personal letters and drawings.
Before leaving, the couple visited the school’s “social and emotional gym”, which teaches students mental and physical exercises to balance their mental health and personal wellbeing.
The children showed off their own personal meditation techniques.
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The Duke and Duchess later enjoyed a private lunch with Ms. Marquez before they were due to meet the country’s Invictus Games participants, who competed at last year’s event for the first time.
However, the theme of the day was internet safety. Before joining a summit to talk about the digital sphere, the couple visited Colegio Cultura Popular, a local school, to chat with pupils about their experiences of social media.
The Sussexes recently launched The Parents’ Network, a support group for parents whose children have suffered harm online, and their visit comes ahead of a Global Ministerial Conference on Ending Violence Against Children in Colombia in November.
The Duchess urged the teenage students to ensure they were “self-reliant and not tech-reliant”.
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It is not known why Colombia was chosen as the location for the Sussexes’ second big outing on the world stage, nor who is footing the bill for their travel and security.
The visit comes at a time of political turmoil in the country, with increased tensions between its government and rebel factions after a ceasefire broke down last month.
It also coincides with the Duke’s ongoing refusal to bring his wife or children back to the UK after he claimed it was not safe.
© Telegraph Media Group Limited 2023
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