Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s charity, Archewell, has been declared “delinquent” by the state of California, necessitating an immediate halt to all fundraising and spending activities. The declaration was made due to the charity’s failure to submit required annual reports and pay necessary fees.
According to an official letter from California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta, Archewell has not been in compliance with the registration requirements since at least May. The letter states that the charity is listed as “delinquent” and is prohibited from soliciting or disbursing charitable funds until it resolves these issues.
The letter reads, “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.”
This development further impacts the couple’s reputation, which has seen a decline since their decision to step back from Royal duties and move to Hollywood. Archewell experienced a significant drop in donations, losing $11 million between 2021 and 2022. Despite this, the charity managed to give their right-hand man, James Holt, a 280 percent pay rise.
Last year, Harry and Meghan were dropped by Spotify from their $20 million podcasting deal. Bill Simmons, a company executive and founder of The Ringer, criticized the couple, calling them “f**king grifters.”
Recently, Harry and Meghan completed a tour of Nigeria, presenting themselves as royal ambassadors despite no longer having official roles within the Royal Family. During the visit, Meghan referred to Nigeria as “my country,” despite it being her first visit there. She stated, “I want to start by saying thank you very much for just how gracious you’ve all been in welcoming my husband and I to this country… my country. I am just flattered and honored and inspired. It has been a whirlwind 24 hours since we arrived, and I very quickly got the memo that I need to wear more colour, so I can fit in with all of you and your incredible fashion.”
The couple’s financial and reputation challenges continue to mount as they navigate their new lives away from Royal duties.