Why do the videos of the Sussexes' pseudo-royal tour to Colombia have no sound?

Normally, royal walks are a joyful affair involving handshakes, bouquet exchanges and, above all, exchanges of pleasantries.

Ever since the late Queen first chose to meet crowds rather than wave from a passing car, they have become an integral part of our nation.

But Harry and Meghan do things differently. As their stay in Colombia showed, they prefer to have as little contact with the public as possible.

And it seems that on the rare occasions when the Duke and Duchess of Sussex meet ordinary people, they are careful not to overhear their conversations.

Their pseudo-royal tour was so strictly controlled that videos of these far too short encounters were passed on to the media without sound.

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry visit Cartagena, Colombia on August 17

For example, it would have been revealing to hear what the couple said to students during a visit to a school in Bogota on the first day of their tour, but instead the video showed only the movements of their lips.

The next day, things continued in a similar fashion when Harry played sitting volleyball with the Invictus Games athletes in the capital. How different from an almost identical event three months earlier in Nigeria, when reporters heard the Duke's every word.

And perhaps it would have been nice to hear the couple celebrating African culture during their visit to Palenque de San Basilio, a village founded by former slaves four centuries ago.

The Sussexes' silent films didn't exactly fit with Meghan's sermons on self-expression, such as during a forum on “Afro Women and Power” on the last day of the tour.

No matter. Having stepped back from royal duties four years ago, they may feel that the normal rules don't apply.

The reasons for this lack of transparency are not immediately clear. While the Duke and Duchess are happy to air their dirty laundry in public – think of the revealing interview with Oprah Winfrey and Harry's memoir that revealed everything – it's not as if they are in the habit of spilling state secrets to well-wishers.

On this tour, however, the desire was clearly evident that their performances should attract as little outside attention as possible.

To this end, they chose a trusted magazine writer to accompany them and provide invariably flattering reports of their activities to the rest of the media, which at best could only catch a fleeting glimpse of the runaway royals from time to time.

The tour was organized by Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation and the Colombian Vice President's team.

Francia Marquez is the first black woman to hold the position and was referred to by Meghan as “my friend” during one of the few recorded speeches.

The Vice President's office posted information about the trip on WhatsApp every day. However, several journalists whose reporting caused discontent were promptly removed from the group.

Others were reprimanded for daring to ask questions to a headmaster whose school the Sussexes attended in Cartagena – although these were answered freely.

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan with Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez and her husband Yernei Pinillo on August 15 in Bogota

Colombia's Vice President Francia Marquez speaks on stage during a forum on digital responsibility at EAN University on August 15.

What the couple, who are now back home in California, achieved with this remains unclear. Critics described it as a publicity stunt for both the Sussexes and Ms Marquez.

In a country where 42 percent of the population lives below the poverty line, questions about costs are already being raised.

“The security bill will be astronomical – a fact that people will not soon forget,” said an opposition politician.

Many locals had never heard of the couple until their arrival. While the Sussexes learned about the local culture and discussed cyberbullying and mental health online, other, more pressing issues were ignored.

Colombia is struggling with economic and social problems as well as a high crime rate. The Foreign Ministry therefore advises against all non-essential travel to large parts of the country.

Right-wing senator and 2026 presidential candidate Maria Fernanda Cabal said the trip “did not bring any cultural exchange or anything like that at all.”

“This is just a sensationalist move by a vice president who has no connection to the reality of the country,” she added.