Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have begun the third day of their 'royal style' tour by visiting a Saturday morning drumming school in Colombia amid more tight security.
The couple arrived at the event, held in a barn-style building, yards from the Caribbean Sea in a suburb of the port city of Cartagena. Meghan wore a black dress and carried a cream coloured handbag, while Harry donned a blue linen shirt, sunglasses and beige chinos.
Students from the school, called Escuela Taller Tambores de Cabildo de la Boquilla, which preserves the art-form of traditional African drumming, performed for them amid tight security. The security detail included heavily armed soldiers, police officers and sharp-suited private security guards. A van containing a chemical biological nuclear response unit joined the massive cavalcade of vehicles that arrived alongside the couple as well as a helicopter and drones while snipers were stationed on a roof.
On arrival, Harry and Meghan were greeted by the booming sounds of drums and the school's founder Rafael Ramos. After the opening performance, the Sussexes and Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez listened to local community members that included children, teenagers, parents, and elders, about the importance of preserving the culture of Cartagena, and specifically it's Afro-Colombian roots. Cartegena is an area specifically being impacted by gentrification and a booming tourism industry.
Harry and Meghan were gifted a small handcrafted wooden boat from a student, an ode to the beautiful coastal town and its beaches, before joining in with a drum lesson led by the students, followed by a performance from some of the locals which brought both the Vice President and Meghan to their feet.
Rafael Ramos was ecstatic to see the duchess's reaction to the performances throughout the morning, saying in Spanish: "I love seeing Meghan’s big, big smile — I can tell she’s excited!" Following the musical performance, Vice President Márquez gave an impassioned speech about the inherent importance of tradition when it comes to preserving Colombian heritage.
Speaking to the crowd, which included members of her own family, she said that towns like Cartagena represent the heart of Colombian culture and the art of drumming in particular symbolises freedom for Black communities around the world. The Vice President also said that part of her decision to invite Harry and Meghan to Colombia was because she views them as a joint symbol of resistance and two vital voices against injustice. She said: "The Duke and Duchess came to Colombia…this is Colombia. This is where the roots of our ancestors and our forefathers are from. A community like this cannot be displaced."
After spending just over an hour at the school, the couple then left in a silver SUV that was part of a 12-vehicle cavalcade, which departed along a sandy beach next to the Caribbean Sea.
On the first two days of their four-day trip to South America, Harry and Meghan were in the Colombian capital of Bogota, where they made a string of appearances alongside the country's vice president Francia Marquez, who invited them to her homeland after watching their controversial Netflix series.
Yesterday, they visited a school in Bogota, where the couple spoke to schoolchildren in Spanish as they took part in an art session and planted trees during a visit to a school. Later they met athletes training for the Games, which were founded by the duke, during a visit to the Centro de Rehabilitacion Inclusiva.
The couple were welcomed by military officials before touring the centre’s swimming pool, rock climbing wall gym and rehabilitation facilities, chatting with the athletes about their exercise programmes. On the first day of their trip to Bogota, they visited another local school, the Colegio Cultura Popular, and joined a summit, in collaboration with their Archewell Foundation, about creating a healthier digital landscape.
They spoke to children in a session where the class talked about their favourite and least favourite parts of social media, technology and dealing with life on the internet. The couple have a full security detail during their visit, alongside Ms Marquez, who invited them to Colombia for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour.
Harry and Meghan's security in Colombia includes an officer armed with a Kevlar shield to stop any potential shooter taking aim at the couple. At almost all events the couple have attended the man - part of the local security detail - has been seen jumping out of a vehicle ahead of the couple holding the folding shield.
During the Duke and Duchess's visit to La Giralda school on Friday morning the shield was clearly visible behind Harry as he planted a tree in the grounds and on footage released by the Colombian government. The shield - known as a ballistic briefcase - is also being used to protect the country's vice president Francia Marquez, who is hosting the visit and who has been the target of several assassination attempts.
Last year her protection team found 7kg of explosives buried in a rural road leading to her home in the south western province of Cauca. Just two months ago, her father and six-year-old nephew escaped unharmed after gunmen shot up a car they were in, leaving it riddled with bullets. Security websites describe the ballistic briefcase as a discreet close protection and a rapid-deployment safety device.
It's non-threatening appearance and easy carry feature makes it ideal for executives, close protection officers and VIP bodyguards. It can be unfolded rapidly with one hand to provide a sizeable line of defence against ballistic and fragmentation threats.
The ring of steel surrounding the party will raise eyebrows as Colombia has travel advisory warnings from the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office. The duke has meanwhile maintained it is 'dangerous' for Meghan to return to the UK. Harry lost a High Court challenge against the Home Office in February over a decision to change the level of his personal security when he visits the UK, but he has been given the green light to appeal.