Prince Harry Is Trying To 'Elevate' Wife Meghan's 'Status' With Colombia Tour, Royal Author Claims

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are set to embark on a high-profile tour of Colombia after being invited by the country's vice president, Francia Marquez.

The trip, which has been likened to a "quasi-royal" tour, is alleged to be a deliberate attempt by Harry to "elevate" his wife's status to that of a senior member of the royal family.

Since news of the trip to the South American country was confirmed, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have come under fire for their past remarks about having security concerns with the UK.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's upcoming visit to Colombia to promote their new children's online safety campaign has been described as a plot by Harry to "elevate Meghan Markle to the status accorded to her" by royal author Anna Pasternak.

Speaking to The Telegraph, Pasternak said there was a "real parallel" of non-working royals being invited by foreign governments as "private citizens" and accepting. She compared Harry and Meghan's upcoming trip to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor's infamous trip to Germany in 1937 after Edward VIII's abdication.

"They accepted [the invitation] because Edward felt so hurt and angered by the way Wallis had been rejected by the Royal family and he desperately wanted her to experience the pomp and ceremony of a royal tour," the royal expert said.

"He wanted Wallis to be addressed as HRH and for people to curtsy to her. I'm not suggesting that Harry wants the pomp and ceremony of a Royal tour, but there is a feeling that he'd like [to elevate] Meghan to the status accorded to her," she added.

According to the news outlet, Pasternak explained that the former working royals "really value the approval of the people of the country they're visiting."

"They can go and be honored in their own right. When you have this quasi-royal status, you're seen internationally as a royal and you're treated as such on tour, but you don't have the protection of the Foreign Office," she continued, adding that the trip "is a high-risk tour for them."

Meanwhile, Harry and Meghan continue to raise eyebrows from some royal watchers who think they shouldn't be going on these types of visits since they already resigned from their royal roles in 2020.

According to Express, Royal expert Kinsey Schofield slammed the tour on her YouTube channel, arguing that people need to "stop calling these hillbilly holidays royal tours."

She continued, "These two quit their royal responsibilities due to a lack of qualifications and inability to handle the demands of the position."

The "faux royal" visit will be their second of the year. In May, they visited Nigeria to participate in the country's cultural activities after being invited by its Chief of Defense Staff.

Harry and Meghan's visit to Colombia has been touted as the government's attempt to use them as "political pawns" to divert attention from the country's controversies and scandals.

Although Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez said the couple will have an "exceptional opportunity to engage with elders, youth, and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians... and illuminate Colombia's role as a beacon of culture and innovation," a Bogota lawyer told the Daily Mail that the couple is being "manipulated."

"I'm sure Meghan and Harry mean well, but everyone here is talking about how obviously they are being manipulated," the source said.

The lawyer added, "Of course, their star power will be used to bring attention to poor people and certain areas of culture in Colombia... but the reality is the Colombian government has been drowning in scandal since it came in two years ago. They need something to appease people at home and make them look good abroad."

It comes after PR expert Ronn Torossian explained Harry and Meghan's reduced social circle in the years following their relocation to the US.

The couple was seemingly welcomed to Hollywood after their royal life exit and was said to have struck up close friendships with A-list stars like Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, George and Amal Clooney, and many others.

However, recent reports suggest that Harry and Meghan's friends have been keeping some distance from them and haven't stayed in contact, which Torossian claimed was a result of their "less appealing" state due to controversies.

"It's clear that several of Meghan's high-profile friendships have cooled over the past few years," he told Express, adding that the former "Suits" actress inadvertently confirmed this "when she gifted a limited batch of her American Riviera Orchard Jams," as some of her famous friends kept mute about it. However, it's unclear if they received one of the 50 jam jars.

Torossian noted that Harry and Meghan's Hollywood pals are also trying to stay on good terms with the royal family.

"Either situation, the lack of public support or the lack of gifting, would speak to the cooling of these relationships and the shrinking of her Hollywood circle," Torossian explained. "The ongoing media scrutiny and public controversies surrounding Harry and Meghan make associating with them less appealing for some celebrities. Additionally, some may want to avoid any potential fallout with the reigning British Royal Family."

He added, "It's not necessarily about Harry or Meghan themselves, but rather the complex and polarizing controversies that continue to follow them despite their attempts to step back from public life."