Princess Lilibet has already “found her voice.” Speaking at an Afro Women and Power event in Cali, Colombia on Aug. 18, Meghan Markle said that she has been helping her 3-year-old daughter to speak up in the same way that she was helped by her own mother, Doria Ragland.
“I find inspiration in so many of the strong women that are around me, of course, my mother being one of them,” she said. “So much of how I approach things is through the lens of less about the fight — that’s not interesting to me — and more about how do we show up in a space and wash things over with love and kindness and generosity,” Meghan, 43, added on the final day of her four-day trip to Colombia with Prince Harry. Lili and her brother Prince Archie, 5, didn’t join their parents on the visit.
She continued by speaking about the importance of the representation of women in positions of power so that others can realize their ability to “change the world” in large and small ways. “Part of the role modeling that I certainly try to do as a mother is to encourage our daughter — who, at 3, she has found her voice,” Meghan said with a laugh. “And we’re so proud of that because that is how we, as I was saying, create the conditions in which there’s a ripple effect of young girls and young women knowing that if someone else is encouraging them to use their voice and be heard, that’s what they’re going to do. And they’re going to create a different environment than so many of us grew up in.”
Meghan, who was on the panel alongside Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez, who invited the couple to the country, began her remarks in Spanish. “Because we are in your country my husband and I can feel this embrace from Colombia — it’s incredible,” Meghan reportedly said. “The culture, the history — all of it was a dream — this trip was a dream. I can feel this community and this is the feeling that is the best thing right now.”
The Duchess of Sussex added that ensuring women and girls are heard, respected and recognized throughout all facets of life is a key belief behind the Archewell Foundation she founded with Prince Harry, 39, shortly after they relocated to California in July 2020 after stepping back as working members of the royal family. “I was very, very fortunate at a young age to feel as though my voice was being heard, and I think that is a luxury that a lot of young girls and women aren’t often afforded,” she said.
“For us and the work that we do with the Archewell Foundation, certainly the work that we do as parents and that I do as a mother, is ensuring that young girls feel as though their voices are being heard and also that young boys are being raised to listen and to hear those young women as well,” Meghan said, adding, “As my husband is great testament to, the role of men in this…is key.”
The couple kept thoughts of their two children close during their four days in the South American country. When they visited Escuela Tambores de Cabildo, a local drum school in Cartagena, on Aug. 17, Meghan wore her “Imperial Disc Pendant” by Ariel Gordon Jewelry, which is personalized with “Archie” and “Lilibet.”
Meghan also brought up their son during a visit to a kindergarten class on Aug. 16. Speaking Spanish, she told one student, “You’re the same age as my son, Archie!”
The Afro Women and Power” forum served as an opportunity to highlight leading Afro-Colombian women leaders and entrepreneurs in the Cali region. The program began with testimonials from local women leaders who spoke about how they have overcome adversity as Black women in Colombia and in the workforce.
Afro-Colombian musicians Nidia Gongora and Cynthia Montano also performed during the event — as Meghan and the vice president joined in with some dancing.
There was more dancing later in the day when Harry and Meghan met up with young people from the city at the Unidad Recreativa El Vallado. Encouraged to join in by students, the couple got up to dance after they’d watched some salsa and hip-hop performances.
The group told the couple how music and dancing have helped keep them focused on their mental health and out of trouble in their wider lives. Prince Harry told the young people, “I hope you all know how much your actions mean to the people and children within your communities. The path that you have chosen will make a difference that will inspire and create change for hundreds or even thousands of young people.”
Meghan was asked if she had tried “viche,” a sweet liquor local to Colombia. She replied, “Yes, it’s very good!” in Spanish. Meghan also congratulated the students on prioritizing art as a way to better balance their mental health, saying that she was “so, so proud of them.”
As they wound up their four-day tour, the couple was given a bottle of viche to take home. “Your country is so beautiful!” the Duchess of Sussex, who translated for her husband when he wanted to address the audience, told the crowd at the Petronio Alvarez Pacific Music Festival in Cali. The gathering is the world’s biggest celebration and display of Afro-Colombian music in the world. As they left the stage, Meghan and Prince Harry hugged the members of the children’s choir who had been onstage with them to say goodbye.
