Meghan and Harry will soon visit Colombia after receiving an invitation from Vice President Francia Márquez. And, according to a source, Meghan is using the trip to send a strong message to the royals

Meghan and Harry are preparing to visit Colombia together (
Image: Getty Images)

Meghan Markle is sending a clear message to the royal family with her ‘faux royal tour’ in Colombia with Prince Harry, according to a source.

The Sussexes have faced scrutiny over the upcoming tour of the South American nation. Critics have pointed out Meghan’s refusal to visit the UK over security fears, while agreeing to travel with her husband to Colombia, which has a notoriously high crime rate.

It will be Harry and Meghan’s second tour since stepping down as working royals; they took part in a three-day Nigeria trip in May. And, according to a source, the upcoming visit is to prove “how much the Royal Family misses her”.

“Meghan sees this Colombia tour as her chance to prove to the world what a big star she is and how much the Royal Family misses her,” the source told OK! “She knows how much she can turn it on and doing events like this was the one thing about royal life that appealed to her. She was furious when that was taken away because she knows she’s such an asset.”

The insider added: “She feels her and Harry together really shine when meeting dignitaries and locals, and it helps with the brand and their plan to be the alternative Royal Family. Meghan knows that nobody in the Royal Family can put on a show like her and Harry. When they left, they asked that they could still represent the family on tours but were told no, so she feels it’s the ultimate revenge as they were both so upset when they were rejected.”

While the exact itinerary of the visit is yet to be confirmed, the couple will travel to the capital Bogota and the coastal areas of the country The trip will also see the pair meet with young people and youth leaders.

It comes after it was revealed that Prince Harry’s new chief of staff has quit after just three months in the top job. Josh Kettler, a seasoned public relations professional, started his role with the Duke of Sussex just before his and Meghan Markle’s three-day trip to Nigeria in May. He was also seen with Harry at St Paul’s Cathedral on his last trip to London when he attended a 10th-anniversary service for his Invictus Games.

However, Mr Kettler has left his post after being hired to “guide him [Harry] through his next phase”.

It is understood that Mr Kettler’s decision to leave was ‘mutual’ and that he was hired on a trial basis, with “both sides agreeing it wasn’t the right fit”.

Mr Kettler had been based in Santa Barbara, near to the Sussexes’ Montecito home and had previously been chief of staff and head of strategic partnerships at the communication platform Cognixion. He had also worked for outdoor clothing brand Patagonia.

Harry and Meghan have lost nine employees since making the move to California, with one former staffer telling the Mail: “What may be most telling is that the entire time I worked there, I don’t think I heard a single current or former employee on their staff say they would take the job again if given the chance.

“These aren’t employees they had just found off the streets. Many of them are people who had previously excelled working for demanding bosses in high-performance companies and environments.”