Former Courtier Claims Prince Harry & Meghan's Colombia Tour Shows 'Why Royals Want Them Kept Away'

Royal tensions have flared over Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's upcoming trip to Colombia. The couple will be heading to the South American country later this month, a trip many are dubbing a quasi-royal tour.

The news has reportedly not been well-received by Buckingham Palace and royal commentators, particularly given the couple's decision to step down as senior royals in 2020.

This reaction follows recent concerns raised by Prince Harry about his reduced security detail during UK visits and his claim that his father, King Charles III, could intervene in the situation.

Later this month, Harry and Meghan will touch down in Colombia after accepting an invitation from the Vice President of the South American country.

Although the announcement about the trip was only recently made, the Daily Beast reported that it has already raised eyebrows among senior royals.

According to a former courtier, who chose to remain anonymous, the couple's choice to go on the trip despite no longer being senior royals "shows the utter contempt they have for the king."

They also claimed that the tour goes against "very long-established ways of doing things," adding that past royal tours have served Britain's interests and that the couple's trip does not align with this precedent.

The former courtier added. "This tour may well have the noblest intentions, but it is clearly not being carried out on behalf of Britain, and yet they still basically portray themselves as British royals. It shows you exactly why the royals want these two kept as far away as possible."

For many, it is also shocking that Harry and Meghan will visit the country despite travel advisories from both the US and UK governments.

According to reports, the US, where the couple currently resides after leaving the UK, has placed Colombia at a Level 3 security risk.

They also warned that "terrorist groups and criminal organizations continue operating and carrying out attacks" in the country and demonstrations "can occur regularly" with the possibility of violence and fatalities.

Still, it is understood that Harry and Meghan will receive full security protection during their stay to prevent any incident. As part of their itinerary, they will engage with "leaders, youth, and women" of Colombia while visiting places like Bogota, Cartagena, and Cali.

The duo will also take part in activities related to "cyberbullying, online exploitation and the mental health impacts of these threats," which their foundation, The Archewell Foundation, is committed to.

The Colombia trip comes after a close friend of the duke shared that Harry has repeatedly tried to ask his father to intervene in his ongoing fight with the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec) about his downgraded security.

Since leaving the UK in 2020, the Invictus founder has been stripped of tax-funded security details, which he has tried to get the court to reinstate.

It now appears that Harry is growing frustrated with the legal dispute, as his close pal told People Magazine that he "feels the only person who can do anything about it is his father [King Charles]."

However, a royal source has since mentioned that such a belief is "wholly incorrect," while another has stated that "for the king himself to attempt to intervene directly in this process in any way would be wholly inappropriate.

While an intervention from King Charles remains to be seen, Harry has forged ahead in getting back his security status quo despite losing a previous court challenge.

A high court had earlier ruled against the duke's challenge of the 2020 decision by the Executive Committee for the Protection of Royalty and Public Figures (Ravec), which recommended that Harry and his family receive reduced taxpayer-funded security provisions.

However, according to Reuters, they won the right to appeal the earlier decision from the High Court last month. The verdict claimed that it was possible that Ravec did not follow its own stated policy, as Harry argued in his challenge.

With the doors now open for another challenge, Harry has a second chance to achieve his goal, though it remains unclear when the appeal hearing will begin.

Harry and Meghan were recently sidelined again for the royal family's summer reclusion to Balmoral Castle in Scotland.

A source told People that Charles would follow in his mother, Queen Elizabeth II's tradition of going there every summer but that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are excluded from his guest list.

The pair were invited by Queen Elizabeth II in 2022, shortly before she died, but declined. Harry is quite familiar with the tradition as he grew up going there, but it's believed that Meghan has never experienced what the holidays at the castle look like.