There are increasing doubts about the integrity of the Archewell Foundation being funded by Prince Harry and Meghan Markle; this has raised eyebrows around the world.
Recent news casts doubt on the prospect of how money is used and cared about, and it leaves many concerned about the future of their charitable activities.
The couple has been accused of delivering on some of the projects they promised, and yet other projects have failed to gain traction.
Founded in 2020, Archewell’s purpose was to benefit communities across the globe. However, filings have raised a controversy on the budget side of things. In 2021, the amount of money raised by the foundation was over thirteen million dollars, but in 2022, the amount went down to a little over two million dollars.
Some questions appeared when Fidelity Charitable and TisBest Philanthropy both gave $6 million, and Archewell reported only two anonymous $1 million grants.
This gap has resulted in speculations of millions going missing, with some terming it as a result of bad management rather than something calculated.
To increase the tension, Archewell was declared delinquent in May 2024 by California officials and could not use or raise funds because of late fines.
The reason was quickly repaired by the foundation, which said that it had lost a check. Nonetheless, the incident contributed to the discussion on the Internet about the lack of transparency.
There is more turmoil as a result of payments made to political officials. Archewell paid $146,500 to Democratic strategist Jiore Craig to provide her support services and $25,000 to a school where she is a board member.
Other grants were to groups with ties to progressive causes, such as $250,000 to a women’s wellness charity headed by Ashley Biden and $90,000 to an activist news nonprofit with donors, including Chris Sacca.
Critics say this blends charity with politics, and a review by the U.S. Congress is called for. A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan emphasized the fact that their activities are not partisan and are aimed at positive change.
In the UK, across the pond, where Harry used to employ his services, his former charity of choice, Sentebale, is also hitting the headlines.
In 2025, he resigned in March, after its chair accused him of bullying, when it underwent a change of leadership. This is as a result of a Charity Commission investigation that failed to find any wrongdoing, but has adversely affected the relationship.
There are also indications of more serious financial reviews, which include reports of questionable transfers to unknown locations, some of which are offshore.
The sponsors and partners are finding themselves reconsidering. Archewell has rejected funding by a Muslim woman speaking to anti-Israel comments by their leader, and this has cast an awry eye on consistency.
On social media, people say whatever they want. One user of One X left a message on the deletion of funds of the Invictus Games with links to videos with shootings and dramatic declarations of scandals. One of them asked to investigate the finances of Archewell and make it accountable.
However, despite the hype, the proponents of both claim there are false allegations and their true effects. With research going on, this story is gaining more and more traction, encapsulating royal heritage with contemporary issues. Will Archewell rebound? Fans would like that, but there are questions.
