Meghan Markle and Prince Harry set to make latest bid for royal spotlight as Sussexes 'planning third tour'
Reuters
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are set to take the royal spotlight as the Sussexes are "planning a third tour", according to insiders.
This comes just one month after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex travelled to Colombia to promote their charity work.
Harry, 39, and Meghan, 43, are intent on making the internet safer for children, including their own, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The couple spent the first two days in Colombia talking to activists, experts and schoolchildren about the impact of social media on young people. They also took part in a summit on internet safety.
In May, Prince Harry and Meghan embarked on their first foreign tour as private citizens and not representatives of the Royal Family, when they travelled to Nigeria.
The visit served a double purpose, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games and offer Meghan an opportunity to explore her heritage.
For the Duchess of Sussex, it was her first time travelling to Nigeria after learning she is 43 per cent Nigerian.
Speaking of how special the trip had been for her, Meghan said she felt it was particularly poignant to be visiting Nigeria on Mother's Day.
Meghan Markle and Prince Harry meeting schoolchildren in Colombia
Getty
Now, the couple are thought to be "planning their third foreign tour in a year".
A friend of Prince Harry's told Hello!: "That's his world; that's what he's used to," in reference to undertaking foreign tours.
The insider suggested likely destinations could be Lesotho and Botswana, where Harry's charity Sentebale operates.
Sentebale is a registered charity founded in 2006 by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. It helps children and adolescents struggling to come to terms with their HIV and AIDS diagnosis.
Meghan and Harry during the first day of engagements in Nigeria back in May
GettySpeaking to People earlier this year, the duke confirmed more quasi-royal tours were being planned, as it is "hugely important for us to meet directly with people, supporting our causes and listening, in order to bring about solutions, support and positive change".
He added: "There’s only so much one can do from home or over Zoom, so we look forward to travelling more because the work matters.
"Whether it’s the Archewell Foundation, Invictus or any of our other causes, there will always be reasons to meet the people at the heart of our work."
Harry and Meghan's trips to Nigeria and Colombia did receive positive press attention and praise following the international visits.
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However, their recent visit to Colombia was criticised by local politicians for its cost to the country.
The couple's visit to the country cost almost £45,000, according to figures released by the office of Maria Fernanda Cabal, a Colombian right-wing senator.
Cabal, a political opponent of Francia Márquez, Colombia’s vice-president who hosted Harry and Meghan, had previously dismissed the tour as "showmanship" and branded it "wasteful spending".
But the vice-president's office was keen to stress that Harry and Meghan paid for their own flights, their accommodation in Bogotá and general expenses.