Prince Harry and Meghan's Archewell Foundation has been declared “delinquent” in California because the charity failed to pay its annual registration fee or file an annual report.
That means the Beverly Hills-based organization can't raise money and California's attorney general lists it among those “unable to operate” in the state, according to state records. Records show the foundation's last renewal was in May 2023.
“When a charity fails to file complete filings for each fiscal year, its status on the Attorney General's Registry of Charities and Fundraisers will appear as Delinquent,” according to the Attorney General's website. “If the delinquency is not corrected, the status of the Registry will be changed again to Suspended and/or Revoked. A charity that is not in good standing with the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers cannot operate or solicit donations in California.”
The office also says that if a charity receives a delinquency letter, it is because it has not filed one or more of the required annual reports with the registry.
Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex did not immediately respond Tuesday to The Times' requests for comment.
According to NBC News, a person close to Archewell said the group's initial check was lost in the mail, but the payment was resent and the issue is expected to be resolved within days. A source also told USA Today something similar: that the organization paid its registration fees with a physical check that was never received. The person said a new check was resubmitted and the California state tax return, renewal and required payment were mailed and delivered to the California Attorney General's office, which received them on time via tracked mail.
Harry and Meghan, who stepped down as royals in 2020 and have since moved to California, were recently in Nigeria to promote the mental health of soldiers and empower young people. Harry was also in London last week to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games, a tournament for wounded veterans that the British prince founded in 2014. However, no senior members of the royal family attended Wednesday's service to support the cause.
King Charles III's busy schedule was cited as the reason why he and Prince Harry, fourth in line to the British throne, did not connect. The visit from his youngest son comes on the heels of the 75-year-old monarch's cancer diagnosis and in the fallout from Harry's scathing 2023 memoir, “Spare.”
The Sussexes have kept busy with other endeavors since crossing the pond and launching the Archewell Foundation and Archewell Productions; make a lucrative deal with Netflix; and the launch of Meghan’s short podcast “Archetypes” on Spotify. The “Suits” alum’s latest venture, American Riviera Orchard, appears to be a lifestyle brand that has launched a jam.
The often criticized couple launched the Archewell Foundation website in October 2020, but had no financial activity in 2020 and their first bank account was opened in January 2021, The Independent reported. The organization received $11 million from benefactors in 2021, according to its 2021 filing, and awarded $3 million in grants. However, in 2022, he received only $2 million in charitable donations. The foundation reportedly received $1.2 million in donations last year.
According to a BBC report in December, the duke and duchess receive no income from the charity and are listed as directors working an average of one hour per week. However, the foundation has an annual salary bill of more than $640,000.
The foundation, named after his five-year-old son Archie, bills itself as a nonprofit with a mission to “show up and do good.”
“We meet the moment by showing up, taking action, and using our unparalleled care to uplift and unite communities, local and global, through acts of service and compassion,” the foundation's statement reads. “We believe that philanthropy is not alms; It's a hand. At the Archewell Foundation, we roll up our sleeves and do just that.”
The foundation has partnered with chef José Andrés' World Central Kitchen, as well as the Halo Trust, the mine clearance charity supported by Harry's mother, Princess Diana. The Archewell Foundation has also supported projects related to gender justice, civil rights, and misinformation. During the couple's trip to Nigeria, the Sussexes announced that their foundation is expanding its partnership with the GEANCO Foundation, which provides health care to rural areas of the African nation.
