Duchess of Edinburgh escapes Omid Scobie race row back home as she visits women’s organisations on official visit to Colombia

The Duchess of Edinburgh looked laid back as she visited women’s organisations in Cali.

Duchess Sophie, 58, has been visiting Colombia this week at the request of the Foreign, Development and Commonwealth Office, where she is undertaking engagements in support of the Women, Peace and Security Agenda working to end sexual violence in conflict. 

The royal looked relaxed in a floral blouse which she paired with casual jeans and hiking boots as she carried out her engagements on the other side of the world as Omid Scobie reignited the royal race row back in the UK with his book Endgame.

A Dutch language edition of Scobie’s book named two royals that Meghan Markle accused of ‘unconscious bias’, which was followed by presenter Piers Morgan last night naming them on live television and subsequently on social media. 

Despite the chaos back home, mum-of-two Sophie stayed focused as she visited the Trópicos Fruits of Hope Coffee Farm to hear how the farm is contributing to the economic reincorporation of over 130 ex-combatants, and the role of women in continuing to build peace.

The Duchess of Edinburgh looked laid back as she visited women’s organisations in Cali, Colombia this week

She heard about the progress and challenges of the historic peace agreement in 2016 from former FARC combatants. 

Sophie later visited the farm’s seed nurseries and even tasted the finished product.

The conflict in Colombia has had a disproportionate effect on women and girls, many of whom are survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). 

The royal hosted a meeting with peace builders and survivors of CRSV, to hear their testimonies and experiences and their role in peace processes, ahead of Colombia’s year as Chair of the International Alliance on PSVI in 2024.

On Tuesday, Sophie visited Bogotá to attend a meeting with the Vice President of Colombia, Francia Márquez and the Minister of Equality and Equity and a celebrated environmental activist, Francia Márquez.

She also visited the Centre for Memory, Peace and Reconciliation (Centro de Memoria, Paz y Reconciliación) where the royal joined women who were impacted by the armed conflict, including survivors of conflict-related sexual violence, to view an exhibition of artwork.

The centre, which was created in 2008, promotes a culture of peace and respect for human rights based on memory and history and was visited by the then-Prince of Wales in 2014.

Later she attended a roundtable discussion with women from the Colombian Armed Forces, to hear about their work in support of the Women, Peace and Security agenda.

The mum-of-two visited the Trópicos Fruits of Hope Coffee Farm to hear how the farm is contributing to the economic reincorporation of over 130 ex-combatants, and the role of women in continuing to build peace

Sophie played with an adorable baby during her visit to the farm’s seed nurseries

The royal looked casual in a pink floral blouse which she paired with blue jeans 

The royal was helped down the steep hills at the farm by a local worker 

Sophie later visited the farm’s seed nurseries and even tasted the finished product

The royal swept her blonde locks back into a ponytail and appeared to wear a light palette of makeup 

She heard about the progress and challenges of the seed farm and even posed with the produce 

Sophie posed with some the Trópicos Fruits of Hope Coffee Farm workers in Cali 

The Duchess met an officer who has recently completed the commissioning course at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

The royal learned about the culture and traditions of the local pacific region, which has been deeply impacted by the armed conflict. 

The Duchess met women’s organisations and entrepreneurs, before viewing a musical performance.

In 2016, the historic peace agreement between the Government of Colombia and the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) ended over fifty years of war – the longest-running conflict in the Western hemisphere. 

Sophie is in the country to learn about the impact of the conflict from both survivors and ex-combatants, and hear about the ongoing work to uphold the rights of indigenous and Afro-Colombian women and girls.

The Duchess’ visit to the Republic of Colombia comes one year on from the UK-hosted International Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative (PSVI) Conference, during which the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict was announced. 

The royal hosted a meeting with peace builders and survivors of conflict-related sexual violence  

Sophie hugged one of the woman after hearing their testimonies and experiences with violence 

Sophie wrapped her arms around another woman after hearing her role in peace processes, ahead of Colombia’s year as Chair of the International Alliance on PSVI 

Sophie is in the country to learn about the impact of the conflict from both survivors and ex-combatants

The royal was clearly moved by the women’s experiences as she embraced many after the meeting 

Sophie hugged another woman after the emotional meeting with peace builders and survivors

Colombia currently serves as a Vice Chair of the Alliance, alongside Ukraine, and will Chair the Alliance in 2024.

Sophie appears unphased during her tour after royal biographer Omid Scobie described her and Prince Edward as ‘casually bigoted’ in his explosive royal book.

Omid released his book Endgame, in which he pointed to a ‘royal screw up’ from the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh in 2021 after Harry and Meghan sat down for their controversial interview with Oprah Winfrey.

After Sophie and Prince Edward brushed off the interview in their first appearance after it was broadcast, Scobie claimed they came off as ‘stuffy or tin-eared at best, and casually bigoted at worst’.

The book refers to the couple’s interview with the Telegraph newspaper in March 2021, shortly after Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made some explosive claims about the royal family in their sit-down interview with US broadcasting legend Oprah Winfrey.

The royal added a bit of glamour with small gold earrings and a slick of bright pink lipstick 

Swapping her jeans for a stylish pleated white skirt, the royal oozed sophistication 

The royal also visited Future Seeds which is a global innovation hub for the conservation and use of crop diversity 

She tasted some of the local produce during her visit to the Future Seedsat at the Alliance’s Palmira

The royal was shown how the process works and she appeared impressed with the system 

In the interview, which was their first in more than two decades, the couple jokingly asked ‘Oprah who?’ when quizzed on whether they watched Harry and Meghan’s bombshell appearance.

‘You know, if you’re not into chat shows, there’s no reason why you should know who she is. Certainly not this this country, anyway,’ Sophie said of the US chat show host.

Scobie claimed the royal duo appeared out of touch due to their comments ‘about the world’s most successful black woman and one of the biggest faces in entertainment’.

He continued: ‘Sophie’s Oprah gaffe is yet another page to add to the history of recent screw ups.’

For Scobie, Sophie and Edward’s apparent ignorance could be used as evidence that the monarchy is an ‘intolerant organisation steeped in bigotry and privilege’.

As she carries out her royal engagements on the other side of the world, Sophie seems focused on the task at hand amid Scobie’s blistering analysis of her time in the spotlight.