Here's Every Time Duchess Meghan Spoke Spanish Like a Pro in Colombia
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The Sussexes's recent trip to Colombia provided the perfect opportunity for Duchess Meghan to brush up on her Spanish speaking skills.
Prior to becoming the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan had interned at the U.S. Embassy in Buenos Aires, Argentina and studied abroad in Madrid, Spain. Those experiences helped build the foundation of her Spanish skills, which she demonstrated over the past week.
On Sunday, Meghan appeared onstage for the Afro-Descendant Women and Power: Voices of Equity summit, in which she joined a panel to speak on women's empowerment. She opened the discussion with a few remarks on her and Harry's warm welcome to the Latin American nation—and she did so completely in Spanish.
“Good afternoon. I would like to start in Spanish,” she began, a line that immediately incited raucous applause from the crowd.
“Because we are in your country, my husband and I can feel this embrace from Colombia—it’s incredible,” she continued. “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.”
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Elsewhere in her speech, she apologized for her imperfect Spanish, attributing it to having learned the language 20 years ago in Argentina.
Meghan ended her opening remarks by thanking Vice President Francia Márquez, who she affectionately referred to as “my friend,” for inviting her and Harry to the country.
Later that day, Meghan and Harry joined Márquez at the Petronio Alvarez Festival, an annual music festival that celebrates the country's Afro-Colombian heritage.
Harry began by greeting the festival goers in Spanish: “Buenas noches Cali! Buenas noches Colombia!” He then turned to Meghan to assist: “Can you help me translate?” Meghan replied, “Claro que sí,” or “of course” in Spanish.
She then translated Harry's next few comments to Spanish line by line: “Thank you for your warm welcome. Thank you for your beautiful culture. And thank you, thank you for your incredible hospitality.”
Harry and Meghan speaking Spanish at the Festival Petronio Álvarez ❤️#HarryandMeghaninColombia pic.twitter.com/pWT2kBVRWa
— Dani (@ArchLiliHazMeg) August 19, 2024
While the four-day trip marked Meghan and Harry's first-ever joint visit to Colombia, it's also their third international trip together this year, following excursions to Canada in February and Nigeria in May.
Harper’s Bazaar is on the ground with the Sussexes as they embark on their four-day visit to Colombia. Watch this space for all the exclusive details.
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