Turns out, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have Netflix to thank (in part) for their high-profile trip to Colombia.
On Thursday, Aug. 15, the first day of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's trip to the country, Vice President Francia Márquez revealed part of the reason why she extended an invitation to visit Colombia to the royal couple.
"How did I get to know Meghan and Harry? I first encountered them through the media, and I particularly watched the Netflix series about their lives and their story, which deeply moved me," Márquez said during a press conference, referring to the couple's hit Netflix docuseries Harry & Meghan, which debuted back in 2022.
"It motivated me to say, 'This is a woman who deserves to visit our country and share her story,'" the vice president continued. "And undoubtedly, her visit will strengthen so many women around the world."
In addition to opening up about what originally drew her to the royal couple, the vice president revealed that she had previously invited Markle to visit the country and take part in the "Day of Afro-descendant Women" commemoration on July 15.
Unfortunately, People reports, Markle was unable to attend.
"At that time, we sent her an invitation letter, and she responded saying that she couldn’t come but was very eager to visit and get to know our country," Márquez explained.
If creating an opportunity for Markle to continue to share her story was one goal of the visit, that goal has certainly been met. On day one of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Colombia visit, they took part in a panel discussing and highlighting the importance of personal online safety, especially among young people.
It's an initiative very near and dear to both their hearts, especially Markle who has been the subject of online racist attacks, death threats, and more.
“With the Archewell Foundation, me and my wife believe that information integrity is a fundamental right,” Prince Harry said during the discussion, as reported by People.
“For as long as people are allowed to spread lies, abuse, then social cohesion as we know it has completely broken down," Harry continued, according to one BBC reported who attended the event. "Now what happens online within a matter of minutes transfers to the streets.”
Markle had previously opened up about her experience with suicidal ideation as a senior member of the royal family, telling CBS Sunday Morning's Jane Pauley that she hopes her story can help others.
"When you've been through any level of pain or trauma, I believe part of our healing journey—certainly part of mine—is being able to be really open about it," Meghan said during the interview. "I really scraped the surface on my experience, but I do think that I would never want someone else to feel that way and I would never want someone else to be making those sort of plans and I would never want someone else to not be believed."
