Prince Harry and Meghan Markle mocked after Archewell Foundation deemed 'delinquent' amid financial ban
LONDON, UK: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's philanthropic venture, the Archewell Foundation, finds itself embroiled in controversy as it grapples with a delinquency status from California's Registry of Charities and Fundraisers.
The foundation, launched by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in 2020, has been listed as delinquent for failing to submit required annual fiscal records, according to documents obtained by Daily Mail.
Archewell Foundation faces restrictions amid financial oversight
The foundation's delinquency, declared in January, stems from its failure to file annual registration renewal fee reports or renewal fees since February 2023. California's Attorney General Rob Bonta issued a warning to Archewell earlier this month, highlighting potential penalties, late fees, and the risk of suspension or revocation of its registered status.
This development casts a shadow over recent announcements by the royal couple, including the expansion of a partnership between The GEANCO Foundation and Archewell Foundation during their tour of Nigeria.
The delinquency notice explicitly prohibits the foundation from engaging in activities requiring registration, such as soliciting or disbursing charitable funds.
The warning continues, "The organization may also be subject to penalties and its registration may be suspended or revoked by the Registry."
Daily Mail has learned that the foundation asserts its check was inadvertently omitted from the filings and has promptly dispatched a new one to rectify the issue. According to Charity Watch, tax documents unveiled by Archewell in December 2023 disclosed that the non-profit experienced an $11 million decrease in donations in 2022 compared to the previous year.
The records revealed that the charity received just over $2 million in charitable donations in 2022, a significant decrease from the $13 million received in 2021.
In 2021, Archewell reported revenue of more than $9 million.
However, the December 2023 filings showed that by 2022, it had incurred a loss of more than $674,000 due to costs totaling $2.67 million.
During the same period, it was reported that Archewell's Executive Director, James Holt, who also serves as the Sussexes' UK PR chief, received a salary of $277,405, including a $20,000 bonus in 2022. This represents a notable increase from his salary of less than $60,000 in 2021, the organization's inaugural year of operation.
When Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, launched their charity four years ago, they named it in honor of their son Archie, who is now 5. They stated that its "core purpose" was "quite simply, to do good."
Their mission statement reads, "We meet the moment by showing up, taking action, and using our unparalleled spotlight to uplift and unite communities, both local and global, online and offline." They claimed that their "three main pillars of focus" are "to build a better world online, to restore trust in information, and above all, to uplift communities."
Charity Watch, founded as the American Institute of Philanthropy in 1992 and the only independent charity watchdog in the United States, has criticized Archewell for its inadequate governance and transparency.
Despite reporting a total of five "Officers, Directors, Trustees, Key Employees, and Highest Compensated Employees," the charity only lists two board members: Meghan, The Duchess of Sussex, and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.
Charity Watch argues that this is not in line with widely accepted best practices for nonprofit boards of directors, which typically recommend a minimum board size of five to seven members.
Internet reacts to Archewell Foundation's ban over financial failures
The internet's reaction to the Archewell Foundation's ban over financial failures reflects a mix of skepticism and criticism toward Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
One user pointed out, "So much more to running a successful business than telling people what to do. I wonder who the Company Secretary is, or perhaps was might be more accurate."
Another user said, "This is like a "Fix It" ticket. The real juice will be when they disclose their financial and we see just how much of their donations went to PR and marketing and how little went to actually helping people."
A different user expressed, "Unfortunately (or fortunately?) these two will never make it to billionaire status. A foundation is something the wealthy move their money between to offset tax. Quite telling that they are not savvy enough (or popular) enough to keep that money coming in. Hopefully Nigeria has given them a suitcase of money - or a cheque..."
Another user wrote, "Trying to be a big deal and failing at most things. I feel sorry for them. Megan doesn’t know how to keep friends, which I get. There are lots of people with relationship problems. They both seem to be fighting through life trying to find their place. Hope they find it someday. Right now I wouldn’t trust them for anything."
"All those staff then they fail to pay fees and submit records. As stated at the end they lack the required skills to effectively govern the organization. That's them in a nutshell for everything they are connected with." a user said.
This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.
