Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have arrived in Colombia at the start of their four-day tour to the South American nation – and a poignant link to Harry’s late mother Princess Diana has emerged

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s ‘royal-style’ tour to Colombia has begun – and a poignant link to Princess Diana has emerged.

The Sussexes were met in the capital Bogota on Thursday by Colombia’s vice-president Francia Marquez and her husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo. They spent around half an hour at the vice president’s residence, where they exchanged welcome gifts and were offered tea, coffee and traditional pandebono – Colombian cheese bread.

The couple are being given a full security detail throughout their visit alongside Ms Marquez, who invited the couple to travel to Colombia for what has been dubbed a DIY royal tour. Before Harry and Meghan arrived at her residence the vice president gave a press conference.

Harry shakes hands with the vice president (Image: Eric Charbonneau for Archewell.)

During it, she was asked about a trip Harry’s late mother Diana had planned to make to Colombia shortly before she died in 1997. She said: “I think that Prince Harry being here today after that dream of his mum’s of visiting this country is an opportunity to show the best of our nation, to show who Colombians are. We are people who in the midst of adversities do everything possible to give the best of ourselves.”

In addition, she also explained she was moved to invite Harry and Meghan to the country after watching their Netflix docu-series, where they railed against their treatment when they were in the Royal Family.

She explained: “I saw the Netflix series about their life, their story and that moved me and motivated me to say that this is a woman who deserves to come to our country and tell her story and her exchange will undoubtedly be an empowerment to so many women in the world.”

Prince Harry and his older brother Prince William with their late mother Princess Diana in 1995 (Image: Getty Images)

The Sussexes’ controversial six-part Netflix show, aired just three months after Queen Elizabeth II’s death, laid bare their troubled relationship with the royal family and the struggles which led to their decision to step back from the working monarchy.

Ms Marquez described the Sussexes’ trip as a “very special visit” aimed at building bridges and joining forces against cyber-bullying and online digital violence and discrimination, as well as promoting women’s leadership in Colombia. The Sussexes’ team has not confirmed how the trip is being funded, whether privately, through Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation, by the Colombian government or other means.

The quasi-royal tour, which has many similarities to the programme of an official royal overseas visit, is the Sussexes’ second this year, after their three-day visit to Nigeria at the invitation of the West African nation’s chief of defence staff. Harper’s Bazaar magazine, covering the trip as the only words pool, said Ms Marquez shared her personal admiration for Harry’s late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.

Meghan and Ms Marquez were pictured embracing as they greeted each other warmly, with Ms Marquez clasping Harry’s hands in her own as they were introduced. The Sussexes were colour co-ordinated style-wise, with the duchess in a navy halterneck top and trousers and Harry in a dark blue suit and light blue shirt.

During the sit-down chat, Ms Marquez said she shared the same ideals and goals as Harry and Meghan amid their campaign to make the digital world safer for children. Harry and Meghan are also visiting a local school, the Colegio Cultura Popular, on Thursday and joining a summit, in collaboration with their Archewell Foundation, about creating a healthier digital landscape.