Meghan and Harry's Colombia visit: Tree planting amid tight security

Although Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are officially no longer members of the royal family, they have been travelling around the world for some time now. It’s not entirely clear what the nature of their visits is, but as can be seen, their presence garners enormous interest locally. This was the case, for example, in Nigeria, where they announced a collaboration between their foundation and a local organization.

The couple is currently in Colombia, where they are participating in a series of closed and open meetings with locals. A notable detail can be observed in the photos. In South America, Meghan, who was wearing Princess Diana’s earrings, and Harry can count on additional security measures. Bodyguards with special bulletproof shields accompany them discreetly held above their heads.

For instance, during their visit to La Giralda School on Friday, one of the bodyguards held a shield, standing right behind Harry as he planted a tree on the school grounds. The additional security measures for Meghan and Harry are also evident in government recordings. The school the couple visited is located in the Santa Fe neighbourhood in Bogotá, which is considered a dangerous and violent place. Even the city’s residents prefer not to venture there at night.

It is worth highlighting, however, that the former royal couple is not treated, especially regarding security. Similar shields are used, for example, to protect Colombia’s Vice President Francia Márquez. She and her family have already been the target of several assassination attempts.

Harry and Meghan’s trip to Colombia will last 4 days, which equates to 96 hours. Besides planting trees with students, the former royals also visited the arts and cultural centre Centro Nacional de las Artes Delia Zapata Olivella.