Meghan Markle pays subtle tribute to her mother-law Princess Diana, donning the late royal’s butterfly earrings during Colombia tour

Meghan Markle appeared to pay tribute to her mother-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales, while on a four-day tour to Colombia.

The Duchess of Sussex, 43, was invited to the country by vice president Francia Márquez after the politician saw the couple’s two-part Netflix documentary. 

She, alongside husband Prince Harry, 39, arrived in the country on Thursday, where they were greeted by Ms Márquez and her partner, Rafael Yerney Pinillo, before undertaking a number of further engagements that day.

The following day, the couple visited La Giralda School in Bogota, with Meghan donning a pair of butterfly-shaped gold earrings previously owned by the late royal for the appearance.

Eagle-eyed royal watchers noticed that Meghan was sporting the jewellery, which was first worn by the late Diana, Princess of Wales on her 1986 royal tour to Canada. 

On Friday, while visiting a school in Colombia, Meghan Markle wore a pair of butterfly-shaped earrings that previously belonged to her late mother-in-law Diana, Princess of Wales

The then-Princess of Wales was seen wearing the jewels during the trip with then-Prince Charles in May that year.

The appearance occurred a year-and-a-half after Diana gave birth to Prince Harry. 

During their trip to La Giralda School, Harry and Meghan took part in an art session and planted trees.

They also visited the school’s ‘social and emotional gym’ which teaches students mental and physical exercises to balance their mental health and personal wellbeing.

Students demonstrated for the couple their personal meditation techniques, and presented them with gifts and handwritten letters.

Harry and Meghan posed for photos alongside the youngsters as they wore traditional dress.  

The school is in the Bogota district of Santa Fe which is seen as a particularly dangerous and violent suburb.

Described as Bogota’s red-light district, it is reportedly known for its deadly mix of prostitution, drugs and violence and is best avoided at night, according to locals. 

Diana, Princess of Wales is pictured wearing the earrings during a royal tour to Canada in May 1986

It featured on Apple TV series No Go Zones – The World’s Toughest Places – and was described as an area of ‘Colombian gangsters and pimps in charge and all manner of homeless people and addicts find their way to the wasteland of Bogota.’  

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were escorted to a school amid tight security with at least 16 armoured police vehicles, as well as armed officers and soldiers, seen on patrol before their arrival. 

The visit to the school, which is overlooked by rundown apartment blocks and several rundown favelas which cling to the nearby hillsides, comes despite Harry’s raising concerns over his security arrangements when visiting the UK. 

Friday’s engagement wasn’t the first time Meghan wore the earrings: In 2018, she was seen sporting them during her and Harry’s tour of Australia. 

Diana left much of her jewellery collection to her sons’ future wives. She conveyed her wishes in a letter, which read: ‘I would like you to allocate all my jewellery to the share to be held by my sons, so that their wives may, in due course, have it or use it.’