Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s Archewell Charity Found ‘Delinquent’: Can’t Raise Money

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle‘s Archewell Foundation charity has been found “delinquent” by the California Attorney General after letting their registration fees lapse since at least the start of May.

The couple has been ordered to stop spending or raising money, according to a letter from A.G. Rob Bonta, obtained by Page Six. Harry, 39, and Meghan, 42, are accused of failing to submit its annual report and its registration fee to the registry of charities.

“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 letter read.

It continued, “The organization may also be subject to penalties and its registration may be suspended or revoked by the Registry.”

Harry and Meghan’s charity will now have to pay late fees in addition to providing records as to why the payment was late.

In Touch understands that the Archewell Foundation did file the paperwork on time, but a physical check for registration fees was sent but not received. The organization learned of the issue after the delinquency notice was published and has since mailed a new check.

The couple announced their charity in April 2020, shortly after moving to California after stepping down as senior working members of the British Royal Family. Their mission statement said the charity was an “impact-driven global nonprofit that puts compassion into action,” with the “simple but profound mission” being “show up, do good.”

The foundation suffered a major drop in donations according to their 2022 tax filing, disclosed on December 12, 2023. It took in $2 million in contributions in 2022, compared to $13 million in 2021.

Archewell ran at a loss in 2022, as expenses exceed revenue by $674,000, according to the filing. The year prior, the charity’s revenue was just over $9 million. In 2022, Archewell listed $8.3 million in assets and cash.

The news of the charity’s delinquent status comes after Meghan launched her American Riviera Orchard brand on March 15 without receiving a full trademark approval. She filed an initial trademark application on February 2, seeking to sell a variety of home decor and kitchen goods.

On March 9, American Riviera Orchard submitted additional trademark applications to sell an array of items including cosmetic products, yoga mats, gardening tools and more.

Harry and Meghan’s charity receiving a “delinquent” status comes on the heels of their three-day tour of Nigeria, which ended on Sunday, May 12.

The couple visited several schools, while Meghan spoke at a women’s conference and Harry visited injured veterans. Their invitation came from the country’s Chief of Defense Staff, and they did not meet with Nigeria’s president.

The British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Richard Montgomery, made it clear the pair were not on a visit representing the British royal family in a May 5, report by the News Agency of Nigeria.

“It’s great that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex are visiting Nigeria, which I understand is at the invitation of Defense Headquarters,” he told the outlet. “But they are visiting in a private capacity, not an official one. So, the British High Commission is not involved in arranging or facilitating their program. They are not representing the work of His Majesty’s Government on this visit.”