Britain's Prince Harry Duke of Sussex, and Britain's Meghan Duchess of Sussex, arrive at the Lightway Academy in Abuja on May 10, 2024 as they visit Nigeria as part of celebrations of Invictus Games anniversary. Picture: Kola SULAIMON/AFP
A delinquency notice issued to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's charity has been removed.
Prince Harry and his wife Meghan's foundation Archewell was warned by California's attorney general earlier this week it could face fines or be suspended from the state’s charity register due to unpaid fees, but it seems the matter has now been resolved.
A statement released by California’s Department of Justice on Tuesday night confirmed the delinquency notice had been removed and the Archewell Foundation is “current and in good standing”.
An Archewell spokesperson added: “We have diligently investigated the situation and can confirm that The Archewell Foundation remains fully compliant and in good standing.
“Due payments were made promptly and in accordance with the IRS’s processes and procedures. Furthermore, all necessary paperwork had been filed by the Foundation without error or wrongdoing.”
Sources told the Daily Telegraph newspaper Harry and Meghan were unaware there was an issue until they received the notice, which was dated May 3 and initially assumed a $200 cheque had gone missing in the post, but they subsequently tracked the mail and found acknowledgement of receipt, so believe it was simply not processed.
Another cheque has been sent to cover the cost of Archewell's annual registration renewal.
The original warning from the Attorney General's office listed the charity as "delinquent", with the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers for "failing to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees."
The document, obtained by People, read: "An organisation 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 organisation may also be subject to penalties and its registration may be suspended or revoked by the Registry. Once you submit the delinquent record(s), you will be notified of the amount of any late fees that are owed."
The couple - who have Prince Archie, five, and two-year-old Princess Lilibet together - previously explained that the charity's name was inspired by their eldest child.
Meghan said: "Before Sussex Royal came the idea of ‘arche’ — the Greek word meaning ‘source of action.
"We connected to this concept for the charitable organization we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our son’s name.
“To do something of meaning, to do something that matters. Archewell is a name that combines an ancient word for strength and action, and another that evokes the deep resources we each must draw upon."
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