Prince Harry ‘wants to elevate Meghan Markle to the status accorded to her’ with their quasi-royal tour of Colombia, a royal author has claimed.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex will travel to the South American country later this week after being invited by Colombia’s vice president Francia Marquez.

The couple – who stepped down from royal duties in January 2020 and relocated to Montecito, California – also visited Nigeria earlier this year on a regal-style trip.

Ahead of the couple’s Colombia visit, royal author Anna Pasternak drew a comparison to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s infamous trip to Germany in 1937 – less than one year after the abdication crisis.

Speaking to The Telegraph, the expert explained: ‘They accepted [the invitation] because Edward felt so hurt and angered by the way Wallis had been rejected by the Royal family and he desperately wanted her to experience the pomp and ceremony of a royal tour.

Pictured: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in Abuja in May 2024 as part of their quasi-royal Nigeria tour

‘He wanted Wallis to be addressed as HRH and for people to curtsy to her. I’m not suggesting that Harry wants the pomp and ceremony of a Royal tour, but there is a feeling that he’d like [to elevate] Meghan to the status accorded to her.’

What’s more, the author – who wrote Princess in Love and The American Duchess – noted how Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘really value the approval of the people of the country they’re visiting’.

Anna added: ‘They can go and be honoured in their own right.’

The trip will allow Meghan, who celebrated her 43rd birthday last Sunday, to show off her fluent Spanish which she learned at private school in LA and perfected during her time as an intern at the US Embassy in Argentina.

But for many Colombians, the Sussexes’ visit is viewed as little more than a cynical attempt by the government to use the glamorous couple as ‘political pawns’ to divert attention from a series of scandals that have engulfed the regime.

A prominent Bogota lawyer told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I’m sure Meghan and Harry mean well, but everyone here is talking about how obviously they are being manipulated.

‘Of course, their star-power will be used to bring attention to poor people and certain areas of culture in Colombia… but the reality is the Colombian government has been drowning in scandal since it came in two years ago. They need something to appease people at home and make them look good abroad.’

Vice President Marquez’s office yesterday said the trip would begin on Thursday, but remained tight-lipped about specifics.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (pictured) will travel to the South American country later this week after being invited by Colombia’s vice president Francia Marquez

Royal expert Anna Pasternak said of the couple’s Colombia trip: ‘They can go and be honoured in their own right’

Earlier this week, it was revealed the couple’s new chief of staff had ‘quit after only three months’ in the job.

When the Duke of Sussex appointed Josh Kettler as his grandly titled chief of staff earlier this year, it was said that he was the perfect man to ‘guide’ Harry ‘through his next phase’.

However, the Daily Mail understands that Mr Kettler has suddenly quit his job after scarcely three months.

‘Josh Kettler is no longer working for them,’ a source in California told this newspaper today.

In May, Mr Kettler joined Harry on his visit to London to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Invictus Games, the sporting event the prince created for injured and sick service personnel.

Ahead of the couple’s Colombia visit, royal author Anna Pasternak drew a comparison to the Duke and Duchess of Windsor’s infamous trip to Germany in 1937 – less than one year after the abdication crisis

Prince Harry and Meghan with Mr Kettler (circled) by their side. His role on the visit was said to be a foretaste of what he would achieve in the future

The pair are expected to stay in the £2,500-a-night Presidential suite at the Sofitel Legend Hotel in Cartagena (pictured)

Mr Kettler was seen entering St Paul’s Cathedral with the duke for the anniversary service, which was attended by figures including Harry’s uncle, Earl Spencer, but no other members of the Royal Family.

Later that month, Mr Kettler was a key figure on the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s three-day ‘tour’ of Nigeria and was by Harry’s side as he met government officials in the West African country. His role on the visit was said to be a foretaste of what he would achieve in the future.

Mr Kettler’s very brief time in his position highlights the difficulties that the Duke and Duchess have had retaining staff.

The total number the Sussexes have lost since they married in 2018 is said to be at least 18, with nine or more having left since they moved to California in 2020.

One former member of staff told the Daily Mail yesterday: ‘What may be most telling is that the entire time I worked there, I don’t think I heard a single current or former employee on their staff say they would take the job again if given the chance.

‘These aren’t employees they had just found off the streets.

‘Many of them are people who had previously excelled working for demanding bosses in high-performance companies and environments.’ Mr Kettler, who is thought to be American, had previously worked for Cognixion, a medical equipment manufacturer.

The Daily Mail Diary reported in April that the Duchess of Sussex had failed to find a chief executive officer for her new cooking and lifestyle business, American Riviera Orchard, despite having interviewed several candidates.

Meghan is said to hope that the brand, which will focus on home, garden, food and lifestyle wares, will be highly lucrative.