Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's charity foundation has been declared delinquent and ordered to stop fundraising or spending. The royal couple reportedly has allowed the official registration fees for their charity, Archewell, to lapse since at least the beginning of May, according to an official letter from California's attorney general, Rob Bonta.
The document clearly mentions that Archewell has been listed as "delinquent" with the registry of charities and fundraisers due to its failure to submit its annual report and registration fees, according to multiple media reports. The revelation casts doubt on an announcement made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex just last week during their tour of Nigeria.
Stopped from Raising Funds and Spending
Harry and Meghan during their Nigeria tour had announced the expansion of a partnership between The GEANCO Foundation in Abuja and the Archewell Foundation.
However, according to the delinquency notice sent to Archewell and dated May 3, "An organization that is listed as delinquent is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, including soliciting or disbursing charitable funds."
"The organization may also be subject to penalties and its registration may be suspended or revoked by the Registry."
Archewell is now required to submit records explaining why its payment is late and to pay late fees.
According to CharityWatch tax filings disclosed by Archewell in December 2023, the nonprofit suffered a $11 million decline in donations in 2022 compared to the previous year. Records indicated that the charity received just over $2 million in charitable donations in 2022, a significant drop from the $13 million received in 2021.
In 2021, Archewell reported revenue of more than $9 million, but the December 2023 filings revealed that by 2022, it had incurred a loss of over $674,000, attributed to costs totaling $2.67 million.
It was also reported in the same month that Archewell's Executive Director, James Holt, who also served as the Sussexes' UK PR chief, earned a salary of $277,405 in 2022, including a $20,000 bonus.
This marked a substantial 280% increase from his salary of less than $60,000 in 2021, which did not reflect a full 12 months of work as he joined in the middle of the year.
Harry, Meghan Trying to Sort Out Issue
Initially, sources told Page Six on Monday that the foundation had filed for an extension. However, later information suggested that a check sent with the filing to the AG's office may not have been received, and a new one has been issued. This means the foundation should be back on track once it is processed.
The couple set up their foundation after relocating to the US in March 2020 following their decision to step back from their senior royal duties.
The organization encompasses the couple's nonprofit charitable foundation, as well as for-profit business divisions concentrating on media production, namely Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions.
The timing of the late filing coincides with Harry's exclusion from a trip to London by his father, King Charles, and brother, Prince William, just before starting a semi-royal tour of Nigeria with his wife.
During their three-day visit to the West African country, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were warmly welcomed by enthusiastic crowds. Markle, who referred to Nigeria as her "motherland" following a DNA test revealing she is 43 percent Nigerian, shared a cross necklace previously owned by her late mother-in-law, Princess Diana, gifted to her by her husband.
