Prince Harry is facing increasing scrutiny as he prepares to travel to Colombia, a country heavily affected by drug trafficking. A close friend of Prince William has reportedly urged the Duke of Sussex to publicly apologize for his past cocaine use before embarking on the high-profile trip with his wife Meghan Markle. With Colombia struggling with a severe drug crisis, there are concerns that Harry’s admission of drug use could distract attention from the critical challenges facing the country.
Prince William’s friend asks Harry to apologize for drug use
“Harry admitted to taking coke in his book (Spare),” the unnamed friend, identified as a friend of the Prince of Wales, told the Daily Beast. “His trip to Colombia should be an admission that the country has been destroyed by narco-terrorists who serve wealthy drug users in the West,” he added, as the Sussexes prepare for another royal trip on Thursday after their visit to Nigeria.
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“And he should stand up and apologize for his own involvement in this disgusting trade. That would be a helpful intervention,” the person said, referring to the duke’s admission of using cocaine, marijuana and psychedelic mushrooms in his best-selling book, which will be published in 2023.
When Harry admitted to taking drugs
“Of course I took cocaine at the time,” King Charles’ youngest son admitted in his eye-opening autobiography. “At someone’s house, during a hunting weekend, I was offered a line and have taken more since then,” he wrote. The estranged royal explained that these things served as a coping mechanism for the trauma of his mother’s death. He confessed that while drugs did not make him happy, they helped him feel different, which was his goal at the time.
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That earlier admission also sparked a legal challenge to his U.S. visa, with the Heritage Foundation filing a lawsuit to determine whether Prince Harry had accurately reported his past drug use on his application, which could potentially affect his eligibility to remain in the United States.
Harry and Meghan’s Columbia tour
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle will visit Colombia, a country notorious for its high murder rate due to drug-related crime. The country has been a key battleground in the global war on drugs since the 1960s and is notorious for the production of cocaine, which is distributed by criminal networks throughout the region.
Despite the country’s reputation for dangerous image, the Sussexes are travelling there to underline their commitment to online safety. The couple will attend an event in November to end violence against children, and the Colombian government has praised them for their global leadership on the issue.
“In these vibrant locations, they will have the extraordinary opportunity to engage with leaders, young people and women who embody the aspirations and voices of Colombians committed to progress,” Colombia’s Vice President Francia Márquez said in a statement earlier this month. “In addition to these meaningful interactions, the Duke and Duchess will experience Colombia’s rich heritage,” they added.
