Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Head Back to School in Colombia for a Social Media Discussion…and Recess!

It was a recess to remember for students at Colegio Cultura Popular in Colombia, as they were joined by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry on the first day of their visit to the nation.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, along with Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez, visited a local charter school in Bogotá during the first day of their visit to the South American country on Aug. 15. They were greeted by a student named José David and headmaster Leonel Umaña Parra before heading inside to take part in an Insight Session discussing social media with pupils.

During the event, students shared personal stories about how social media impacts them both positively and negatively, discussing their favorite and least favorite parts of the digital world.

Meghan, 43, praised the group as “impressive, smart and savvy” while promoting the importance of them being “self-reliant and not tech-reliant.” Prince Harry, 39, asked the students how they talked about managing social media and digital literacy at home with their families.

After the Insight Session, Prince Harry and Meghan stepped outside for recess, where they met excited students and teachers and posed for some photos.

They wore their outfits from earlier in the day. Meghan, wearing her hair in a slicked-back updo, sported a sleeveless Veronica Beard suit in navy and black Manolo Blahnik heels. Prince Harry coordinated with his wife in a suit paired with a blue Brioni dress shirt.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have highlighted the effects of harmful online content through their non-profit organization, the Archewell Foundation. They recently appeared on CBS Sunday Morning to discuss a new initiative called The Parents Network, which supports parents whose children have been impacted by traumas related to social media use.

The topic is a main focus of their visit to Colombia, which comes ahead of the first World Ministerial Conference on the Elimination of Violence Against Children, taking place in the nation this November.

Prince Harry and Meghan kicked off their visit to Colombia with an official greeting from Vice President Márquez, who announced their visit earlier this month, and her husband, Rafael Yerney Pinillo. At the vice president’s residence, the couples chatted over coffee, tea and traditional pan de bono (Colombian cheese bread) before exchanging welcome gifts

Márquez said during a press conference earlier in the day that she “first encountered” the Duke and Duchess of Sussex “through the media, and I particularly watched the Netflix series about their lives and their story, which deeply moved me.”

The vice president continued, “It motivated me to say, ‘This is a woman who deserves to visit our country and share her story,’ and undoubtedly, her visit will strengthen so many women around the world.”