As Prince Harry and Meghan embark upon their ‘royal-style’ tour of Colombia, they’ll be making a number of visits to charities and organisations.

The Sussexes will tomorrow (Thursday, August 15) be flying out on a four-day trip to Colombia, touching down in the capital of Bogota, before heading to the coastal city of Cartagena. Although their full itinerary isn’t yet known, it’s understood they’ll be attending the Cali-based Petronio Alvarez Festival – a music festival that celebrates Afro-Colombian music and culture – and will pay a visit to the first ‘free town’ for Africans in the Americas – San Basilio de Palenque.

And one appointment in particular appears to be rather telling in the eyes of royal expert Tom Quinn. According to Mr Quinn, who penned the book Scandals of the Royal Palaces: An Intimate Memoir of Royals Behaving Badly, he believes one conference in particular could have ‘tempted’ Harry and Meghan to Colombia, and it concerns a cause very close to Kate’s heart…

It’s though one particular conference could have tempted the Sussexes to Colombia ( Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)

Palace officials are said to be ‘irritated’ by the couple trying to ‘steal Kate’s thunder’ ( Image: AFP via Getty Images)

Mr Quinn told the Mirror : “What’s tempted Harry and Meghan – though no exact dates for the tour have yet been agreed – is that Colombia is to hold the Global Conference on Ending Violence Against Children later this year. For Meghan this could be a boost for the Archwell Foundation whose concern with the welfare of children was praised by the Columbian vice-president.”

He continued: “Francia Marquez, who issued the invitation to Meghan and Harry, praised the couples’ Archwell Foundation and what she described as its ‘global leadership in fostering a safer online environment’. This will have been music to Meghan’s ears, but palace officials in the UK are irritated that once again Meghan and Harry are trying to steal Kate’s thunder – Kate’s interest in child welfare has always been central to her role in the royal family.”

In 2021, mother-of-three Kate founded the Centre for Early Childhood, a data-driven initiative focused on how the first five years of a child’s life ‘fundamentally shape the adults we become’. The Princess of Wales founded the centre as part of her and Prince William’s Royal Foundation, and she’s previously spoken passionately about just how much this cause means to her.

During a 2019 gala speech for Action on Addiction, Princess Kate explained that this cornerstone interest was inspired by the encounters she had during her early years as a working Royal. She shared: “For the last few years, I’ve been focusing on the importance of prevention. How can we all really support the earliest years of life, build foundations, and help avoid adversity later on in life?

“Having met so many people who’ve suffered from addiction, I have seen over and over again that, sadly, the root cause can so often be traced right back to the very earliest years of someone’s life.”