Prince Harry and Meghan Markle plan a third overseas tour this year, with Lesotho or Botswana possible options

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are believed to be planning a third “quasi-royal tour” before the end of this year and are considering a return to Africa.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle received a mostly positive reception on their first two trips this year to Nigeria in May and then Colombia last month.

The couple have been encouraged by the success of the two tours and are now planning another trip abroad later this year, according to Hello! magazine.

Possible destinations are believed to include Lesotho and Botswana, where Harry’s charity Sentebale operates. The duke last visited these countries in 2019.

Speaking about Harry’s overseas trips and charity work, a close source said: Hello!“That’s his world, that’s what he’s used to and that’s what he knows. He can still add value.”

Harry will also embark on a solo trip to New York City later this month to “promote a number of his patronages and philanthropic initiatives,” his team said.

The visit will take place during the UN General Assembly High-Level Week, from 23 to 27 September, and Climate Week, from 22 to 29 September.

This comes after the couple’s tour of Colombia cost the country Col$244,245,305 (£44,725.14), which included security and internal transport costs.

The figure was released by Colombian Vice President Francia Márquez, who organized the four-day trip at the request of Senator María Fernanda Cabal.

Ms Cabal, who is her political opponent, previously called the quasi-royal tour between August 15 and 18 a “spectacle” and “wasteful spending”.

But the vice president’s office also revealed that Harry and Meghan paid for their own flights and accommodation in Bogota, as well as general expenses.

During their trip, Harry and Meghan visited a local school and took part in a summit in collaboration with their Archewell Foundation on creating a healthier digital landscape.

The Sussexes also took part in a forum that paid tribute to the contributions of Afro-Colombian women, leaders and entrepreneurs.

And Harry took part in a volleyball match during a visit to Colombian athletes at the Invictus Games in Bogota.

Harper’s Bazaar magazine covered the trip as the only story in the book.

The quasi-royal tour had many similarities with the programme of an official royal visit abroad.

This followed a three-day visit by the Sussexes to Nigeria in May, at the invitation of the West African nation’s Chief of Defence Staff.

Harry and Meghan stepped down as acting monarchs in 2020 and no longer travel at the request of the UK government on official royal visits abroad, when travel costs would normally have been covered by the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant.

In February, Harry lost a High Court appeal against the Home Office over a decision to change his personal security level when visiting the UK, but has been given the green light to appeal.