Duchess Sophie shrugs off royal race row as she watches a dance performance in Colombia

• Duchess Sophie, 58, has been visiting Colombia this week on a royal tour
• Read More: Duchess of Edinburgh steps out in Colombia after Endgame release

The Duchess of Edinburgh appeared in high spirits as she visited a dance centre in Colombia on Thursday, shrugging off the Omid Scobie race row.

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 in great spirits as she enjoyed a dance performance at La Licorera in Cali, the city’s cultural centre for dance and choreography.

The mother-of-two donned a chic blue dress which she cinched at the waist with a brown belt and completed the look with wedge heels.   

Sophie attended the dance workshop amid a difficult week for the Royal Family with the publication of Endgame, with the Dutch edition naming two royals who allegedly made remarks about Archie’s skin colour.

The Duchess of Edinburgh appeared in high spirits as she visited a dance centre in Cali on Thursday- amid Omid Scobie race row

Making sure to keep calm and carry on she visited the British Council’s new Creative Bootcamp: Dance and Peace programme, which provides new opportunities for young people in the Pacific region who have been impacted by the armed conflict.  

Sophie, who is Patron of the Central School of Ballet, met local dancers from Incolballet, the Colombian Ballet Institute (Instituto Colombiano de Ballet), and heard about the positive role the arts have to play in healing communities and building peace.

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

Scobie 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.

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.

The royal looked in great spirits as she enjoyed a dance performance at La Licorera, the city’s cultural centre for dance and choreography

Sophie was all smiles as she chatted to the dancers after their performance 

The mum-of-two donned a chic blue dress which she cinched at the waist with a brown belt and completed the look with wedge heels

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.’

The Duchess’ visit to Colombia comes one year on from the Prevention of Sexual Violence in Conflict International Conference in London.

While in Bogotá, Sophie marked this anniversary at a roundtable meeting with Colombian PSVI stakeholders as the country prepares to take on the role of Chair of the International Alliance on Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict in 2024.

The Conference last year was attended by over 1000 representatives from 57 countries, including survivors of conflict-related sexual violence.

Representatives were brought together with a shared goal to address the root causes, to hold perpetrators to account and deliver justice for survivors, and to support children born of sexual violence, while tackling the stigma they face in their communities.

At the British Residence, the royal also attend a Peace and Sustainable Fashion showcase ‘Moda-Paz-Sostenibilidad’, which demonstrated the links between peace and the natural environment in Colombia.

It featured the work of designers who have been impacted by the armed conflict, including ex-combatants and survivors.

She completed her glamorous look with drop earrings which featured a blue stone to match her ensemble 

The royal appeared mesmerised by the dancers performance as she watched on from a seating area 

Their sustainable fashion brands not only protect the natural world, but have created alternative, viable livelihoods within their communities that have suffered during the armed conflict and from organised crime, as well as providing a creative outlet to tell their stories. 

The Duchess, who is Patron of the London College of Fashion, congratulated the designers, before addressing assembled guests including those working on issues related to women, peace and security, conflict resolution and the protection of Colombia’s biodiversity.

On Wednesday, the royal looked relaxed in a floral blouse which she paired with casual jeans and hiking boots 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.

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

Sophie cheered a clapped for the dancers once they finished their performances

Sophie chatted to the performers at the British Council’s new Creative Bootcamp: Dance and Peace programme

The dance program provides new opportunities for young people in the Pacific region who have been impacted by the armed conflict

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

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 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.

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