Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s international tours could lead to a run-in with the British Foreign Office as the Sussexes risk “undermining” Britain, an expert tells the Daily Express.
Having toured Nigeria in May, the couple touched down in Colombia on Thursday for another international visit.
According to reports, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex could embark on something of a ‘world tour’ with trips to more countries in the future.
Although they stepped down as senior members of the Royal Family back in the 2020, they still use their royal titles, and many have speculated their plans could undermine the UK Government as well as working members of the Firm.
Hilary Fordwich, a British royal commentator based in the US, tells the Daily Express that more visits could lead to the couple coming to blows with the UK Foreign Office.
She said: “It is high risk and not acceptable to be doing this when the Foreign Office has not approved this tour.”
She added: “Yes. I think if you look at their track record, they have sunk themselves. When they went to Nigeria, she attended that religious school with her arms bare.
“With royal protocol, there is a lot of investigation and teams that go in to make sure everything is appropriate.
“Harry and Meghan’s lack of protocol and lack of advanced team means they are most likely to undermine their own goals, their own image and the UK Government.
“They are pseudo-royals. Royal titles without the royal protocol and standing.”
Harry and Meghan have received no advice from the British Foreign Office, whose briefings and guidance usually dictate royal tours.
As reported by The Telegraph, one source familiar with the work of the Foreign Office dismissed the trip as “utterly irrelevant”.
Anna Pasternak, author of American Duchess, also told the outlet that the tour is “high-risk” for the Sussexes.
She added: “When you have this quasi-royal status, you’re seen internationally as a royal and you’re treated as such on tour, but you don’t have the protection of the Foreign Office. This is a high-risk tour for them.
“When a country invites you, you’ve got to wonder ‘what’s the agenda?’ In what way does this fit into the narrative, and how they want to be seen on a global scale?”