Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall kicked off their nine-day visit to Colombia and Mexico on Tuesday evening. Despite the rainy weather that met the British royals as they landed, Charles and Camilla were given a warm welcome at the Bogota Military Airport in Colombia. The couple, who will spend four days in the first country, were greeted by a traditional Guard of Honour as they made their red-carpet arrival.
Camilla and Prince Charles touched down in Colombia on Tuesday night
Dressing in an ivory dress and knee-length overcoat, Camilla, 67, cut an elegant figure as she made her way down the plane steps. She accessorised with a set of pearl earrings and a necklace, and judging by the beam on her face, onlookers wouldn't have guessed that the Duchess had endured a 12-hour flight. Charles and Camilla made no delay in attending their first engagement – a reception at the British Ambassador's residence in the capital. The first-in-line to the throne, 65, and his elegant wife met members of the British community as well as distinguished local businessmen and women.
The Duchess of Cornwall was persuaded to model her snakeskin clutch bag
Camilla looked particularly intrigued by a snakeskin printed clutch bag she was presented with by Mario Hernandez. The designer convinced the royal to try it on and reportedly gave Camilla a "casual" handbag to pass on to the Duchess of Cambridge, née Kate Middleton. Charles, meanwhile, was given a Colombian football shirt by Luis Bedoya, the President of the Colombian Football Federation.
Prince Charles was presented with a Colombian football shirt
The couple's overseas visit will tackle a number of issues including the international drugs trade and domestic and sexual violence against women, as requested by the Foreign Office. The trip was organised at the request of the British Government, following invitations from President Juan Manuel Santos Calderón of Colombia and President Enrique Peña Nieto of Mexico, and it is hoped that the visit will be a major boost to the relationship between the UK and the influential Latin American nations. Charles has previously visited Colombia once in 1974 as a naval officer, while Camilla has never been. As for the Mexico, the Prince has visited four times before in 1966, 1970, 1993 and 2002, and Camilla has travelled there privately in the past.