Harry & Meghan’s Charity Blames AG’s Office Amid ‘Delinquency’ Fiasco

Archewell Foundation, the charity organization by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, was recently deemed “delinquent” by a US charity regulator for allegedly failing to pay its renewal fees and properly submit its report.

A source, who previously claimed that a check for the renewal went missing in the post, has now explained that the check was received but not processed by US officials.

It comes as Harry and Meghan recently returned from their tour of Nigeria, where they participated in the country’s cultural activities.

The California registry of charities and fundraisers deemed Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation “delinquent” after it allegedly failed to submit paperwork tending to its annual fiscal records and a renewal fee.

Going by the notice, it meant that the Sussexes Foundation wasn’t in “good standing” and consequentially “prohibited from engaging in conduct for which registration is required, including soliciting or disbursing charitable funds.”

According to a report, a Harry and Meghan source has claimed that paperwork and a “check” for the renewal were filed on time. However, the discrepancy arose because Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office did not process the $200 check.

The Blast understands that the DOJ is expected to issue a statement soon to clarify the matter.

The same Sussex source previously claimed that the Archewell Foundation filed its paperwork on time but that the $200 renewal check got lost in transit.

They explained that the foundation’s tax filing for the 2022 fiscal year, along with the renewal and required charge, were filed on time and delivered to the Attorney General’s office via tracked mail.

Pending the time Archewell Foundation officials could confirm that the filing was duly received and acknowledged, they assumed that the check got lost in the post. Hence, the initial explanation given for the “delinquent” notice has now turned out to be false.

The source previously explained that everything was filed on time and that part of that filing included a physical check. The source further noted that the check was not received and that the foundation was only made aware of this happening when the “delinquency notice was published.”

They added that a new check has been mailed and that they anticipate the matter being resolved within seven business days.

The former senior working royals would seemingly look to increase their foundation’s revenue as reports show a sharp decline in donations from years ago when they first launched it.

According to the DailyMail, the $200 registration renewal charge is based on a sliding scale parameter that is dependent on an organization’s total revenue.

Archewell Foundation’s most recent revenue was about $2 million, placing it within the “between $1,000,001 and $5 million” section of the sliding scale.

Harry and Meghan’s charity’s latest revenue is nothing to be compared to their revenue from previous years, showing a notable decline in funds for the organization.

Tax filing disclosed by the foundation in December showed that the organization suffered an $ 11 million decline in donations in 2022 compared to the previous year, as they received just over $ 2 million in charitable donations in 2022 compared to $ 13 million in 2021.

Although the charity reported revenue of more than $9 million in 2021, the December 2023 filings showed that by 2022, it had recorded a loss of more than $674,000 due to costs of $2.67 million.

It comes after the couple returned from what people have called an “unofficial royal” visit to Nigeria, where they took part in the country’s cultural activities and other charity events.

The West African country’s Chief of Defense Staff, Christopher Gwabin Musa, invited them to the country, and they were treated to a somewhat royal reception, including a military parade and exquisite dinner reception attended by the who’s who in Nigerian society.

Although the pair also stood for the God Save The King anthem, sources within the UK’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office told the Daily Mail that they visited Nigeria in a “private capacity,” with the UK Government “not involved in arranging or facilitating their program.”

On the trip, Harry and Meghan announced a partnership between their Archewell Foundation and the GEANCO Foundation, a charity that leads special surgical missions and runs a network of innovative solar-powered maternal and infant health clinics in Nigeria.

They also provide scholarships to young female victims of terrorism and gender inequality in the country, something Meghan is a big fan of.