When Prince Harry and Meghan Markle split from the monarchy in 2020, they vowed to continue living lives of public service while seeking to become financially independent.
The couple's path to this end was established soon after they settled in the United States, buying a family home base in Montecito, California. One of their first big moves was to create the Archewell Foundation, the charitable arm of their umbrella "Archewell" organization. They also formed Archewell Productions and Archewell Audio, which secured their immediate financial future through the signing of content creation deals with large streaming platforms.
Through the Archewell Foundation, Harry and Meghan have focused their philanthropic work on key areas such as the promotion of equality and social justice, the rights and education of women, minority voices, mental health and the protection of children online.
Along with this, Harry has continued his work separately through the Invictus Games Foundation, which hosts semiannual tournaments around the world to support the global veterans community.
After their dramatic split from the royal family, the "official" nature of Harry and Meghan's roles has been hotly debated. In essence, they conduct all business and philanthropic work as private citizens. But their continued use of their royal titles has brought them criticism in Britain, with some saying that continuing to do so suggests their actions are sanctioned by the monarchy.
One area where this debate has been raised is when the couple have undertaken engagements and events overseas. These "tours" are closely associated with the royal family, and while working members of the monarchy, Harry and Meghan visited Australia and the South Pacific, Ireland, Morocco and South Africa, all at the request of the U.K. government.
Now, working outside the institution of the monarchy, the couple have continued to receive official invites from nations to draw attention to spaces, places and causes, something they appear to be increasingly accepting.
As Harry and Meghan prepare for their next big tour, to Colombia, Newsweek looks at the couple's high-profile philanthropic visits since splitting from the monarchy.
New York City, September 2021
In September 2021, Meghan and Harry undertook their first round of major public engagements since their move to America, doing a three-day tour of New York City.
The couple undertook multiple engagements, including a visit to the United Nations, a meeting with then-New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, a tour of the 9/11 memorial site, a school visit in Brooklyn, a meeting at the World Health Organization offices and the centerpiece, an appearance at Global Citizen Live's COVID vaccine equality event.
United Kingdom, September 2022
A year later, Harry and Meghan announced a four-day visit to Europe, where they planned to attend two key charity events in Britain and an Invictus event in Germany.
While basing themselves at their then-Windsor home, Frogmore Cottage, the couple's brief tour began with a visit to Manchester, where they attended the One Young World summit on September 5.
On the final day of their proposed round of engagements, September 8, Harry's grandmother, Queen Elizabeth, died. The couple canceled an appearance at the WellChild Awards in London and extended their stay to attend the monarch's funeral on September 19. They attended mourning events in between.
Nigeria, May 2024
In May, the couple traveled to Nigeria, where they undertook a three-day official visit to the country at the invitation of the chief of defense staff. The trip mainly consisted of events connected with Harry's Invictus Games work, though other events engaging in their philanthropic work were scheduled.
These included a school visit and official reception in the capital city of Abuja, as well as a speaking engagement for Meghan. The couple also visited Lagos, where Harry took part in a charity polo match.
Colombia, 2024
On August 1, it was announced that Harry and Meghan had accepted an invitation from the vice president of Colombia to visit the country this year.
Though details of their itinerary have yet to be released, they will visit the cities of Bogotá, Cartagena and Cali.
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek's royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
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