Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had been feeling the beat on the third day of their go to to Colombia.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex arrived within the metropolis of Cartagena on Saturday, August 17, with Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez and stopped by an area drum college, Escuela Tambores de Cabildo, which preserves the artform of conventional African drumming. Meghan, 43, wore a black striped maxi gown together with her hair pulled again right into a ponytail whereas Harry, 39, opted for a vibrant blue button-down, untucked with rolled up sleeves.

They had been welcomed with a energetic opening efficiency by the scholars. Then, area people members of all ages mentioned why they prioritize preserving the tradition of Cartagena, particularly the town’s Afro-Colombian roots, amid gentrification and a tourism increase.

Meghan, 43, and Harry, 39, together with Vice President Marquez and husband Rafael Yerney Pinillo, then joined a drum lesson taught by college students. Photographs present the Sussexes smiling as they tried to play the devices.

The drum college’s founder Rafael Ramos mentioned, in Spanish, “I like seeing Meghan’s large, large smile — I can inform she’s excited!”

Following the lesson and one other musical efficiency, Vice President Márquez gave an impassioned speech in regards to the inherent significance of custom, noting Cartegena represents the guts of Colombian tradition and that the artwork of drumming symbolizes freedom for Black communities worldwide.

She defined that she invited the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to Colombia as a result of she “views them as a joint image of resistance and two very important voices towards injustice,” a reporter current tells Us Weekly.

“The Duke and Duchess got here to Colombia…that is Colombia. That is the place the roots of our ancestors and our forefathers are from,” the VP mentioned. “A neighborhood like this can’t be displaced.”

Earlier than they left Cartagena, Meghan and Harry had been additionally gifted a small handcrafted picket boat from a drumming pupil, an ode to the coastal city.

After Cartagena, the pair headed to San Basilio de Palenque; the city was established as the primary free African city within the Americas in 1619. They modified outfits — with Meghan choosing white pants and an identical tank prime whereas Harry wore a light-weight blue button-down — and listened to speeches and performances from Palenque’s neighborhood leaders in regards to the significance of preserving Palenque tradition and historic grounds.

Associated: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Relationship Timeline

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship has been on the world’s radar ever since they began relationship in 2016. The pair introduced their engagement in November 2017 and tied the knot the next Could at St George’s Chapel in Windsor, England. They went on to welcome their son, Archie, in Could 2019, the identical month they […]

Vice President Màrquez was grateful to the Sussexes for visiting Colombia. “I needed them to return right here and uncover the essence of who we’re — our spirituality, our music, our tradition and our ancestral heritage that’s nonetheless very a lot alive at present,” she mentioned. “Within the midst of adversity that is what has helped us proceed to be resilient. Palenque is within the coronary heart of each Afro-Colombian.”

After the vp’s speech, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex spoke — beginning with a conventional greeting of “Hola! Azina-po-tabde!” within the city’s indigenous language of Palenquero and ending in Spanish.

Meghan mentioned she was “so honored” to be invited to go to San Basilio de Palenque and referenced the neighborhood’s “unimaginable historical past” whereas Harry described the go to as an “extremely transferring expertise.”

They took a stroll via city — the place locals cheered and kids danced — and explored a avenue market earlier than a energetic live performance that includes native musicians.