Praising the Duke of Sussex, 39, for being a supportive partner, the duchess, 43, said: “We work incredibly well together as a team, but as my husband is great testament to, the role of men in this of empowering women, of allowing them to know that their voices are heard, starting at a young age all the way through adulthood, is key.

“For us and the work that we do with our Archewell Foundation, certainly the work that we do as parents, as I do as a mother, is ensuring that young girls feel as though their voices are being heard.”

Royal expert Roya Nikkhah explained that the decision was based upon their status as non-working royals.

“The Sussexes also understood they would be at Buckingham Palace on the eve of the funeral alongside the rest of the royal family, when Charles and Camilla hosted a reception for foreign heads of state,” she wrote in The Sunday Times.

“They were initially asked to the event but their invitations were later ‘rescinded’, with the Palace clarifying the event was for ‘working members of the royal family’ only.’”

On day three, the couple visited a drumming school as part of the trip’s aim to highlight the local culture.

“Day three of this tour threw up some body language rituals that seemed to suggest it was Meghan in the lead as she was from their arrival, stepping into the greeting rituals with a keenness, a perfect smile and almost regal grace while Harry appears to be lurking, waiting his turn or standing behind Meghan looking slightly downcast,” Judi James told The Mirror.

“Meghan has clearly perfected the art of the gracious perma-smile but Harry’s expressions appeared to fluctuate, smiling, laughing and gesticulating one minute but looking more disconnected the next as he waits his turn.”

The trip follows the couple’s successful visit to Nigeria earlier this year, which marked the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.

Frank Cottrell-Boyce, who wrote the afternoon tea-themed scene, said: “She did it brilliantly and with evident enjoyment.”

He also explained that as Paddington wasn’t there and the Queen was talking to an empty chair, it was an impressive example of acting.

“Paddington’s not really there,” Cottrell-Boyce explained, The Telegraph reports. “So it’s technically an amazing performance.”

Speaking at the ‘Afro women and power’ event, she said: “I would like to begin in Spanish because we are in your country, my husband and I, and I can feel this embrace from Colombia.

“It’s incredible, so many, many thanks, because the culture, the history, everything has been like a dream on this trip.

“Sorry if my Spanish is not perfect because I learned it 20 years ago in Argentina, but I’m trying here because I can feel this community and this feeling which is the best in the world.”

Meghan previously learned the language while studying abroad in 2002. The recent tour was designed to “illuminate Colombia’s role as a beacon of culture and innovation”.

A friend of the royal family told The Times: “What they haven’t been able to do is create a public presence that’s respected and popular.

“I was in LA recently and was struck by how they’re not the topic of conversation.

An insider told The Mirror: “They have finally let their guard down and are just being themselves. It’s no secret the Duke and Duchess both love music, especially hip-hop, salsa and dancing, so to get to do this on their Colombia tour was a dream come true. They danced like they did not care who was watching, and that was so endearing.”

The couple previously cited a desire to live a more independent life when they stepped down as working royals in 2020.

Francia Márquez has been accused of pandering to royalty instead of her own people by her right-wing rival Maria Fernanda Cabal.

“The invitation to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex brings absolutely no cultural exchange or anything of the sort,” she said, as reported by The Telegraph.

“It is part of the showmanship of a vice president who is disconnected from the reality of the country.

“The vice-president is black and, as a minority, should set an example of greatness, of affection towards the population, especially the poor, without resentment or hatred.

“She should seek out even minimal projects that the community needs, stand by the people, not by royalty.”

Ahead of the couple’s arrival a former slave down, San Basilio de Palenque, Justo Valdés, a 70-year-old singer, questioned: “Who’s Meghan?”

A local journalist, who asked to be kept anonymous, told The Telegraph that they believed the tour was a deliberate distraction from issues facing the country.

“People are expecting the government to address these issues rather than focus on a high-profile event with the Duke and Duchess of Sussex,” they said.

“Although addressing and confronting cyberbullying in children is an important issue, it is not the most pressing problem we face.”

The Duke of Sussex, 39, moved to California with his wife Meghan Markle in 2020 and has undertaken a series of ventures since then, including various tell-alls about his time in The Firm.

“He loved the army and was very good at his job. The work with Invictus is great and fatherhood was the role he most wanted, so perhaps those are enough for him,” the aide said, as reported by The Times.

“But everything else is a bit woolly. I always thought he wanted more from life. I can’t help but think he must be wondering, ‘Where do I go from here?’” the person added.