Meghan and Harry insist officials DID receive missing cheque ‘on time’ as they shun blame for Archewell charity row
MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry’s charity row has descended into a blame game with sources close to the couple insisting US officials did not process their cheque.
The royal couple’s Archewell Foundation was served a delinquency notice after apparently failing to submit records – and pay a bill.
They were at the centre of yet another controversy after it was revealed their charity had been ordered to stop donations.
But Sussex sources today claimed the notice was actually issued because officials at California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s office did not process the $200 (£160) cheque.
This small fee was to pay for their annual registration bill, as reported by the MailOnline.
The source added how their tax filings were submitted in full, in accordance with all regulations, and were widely reported in the media in December.
The Department of Justice are understood to be issuing a statement later today.
It comes after the Telegraph reported Archewell had been banned from raising or spending funds until an alleged unpaid fee was cleared.
It was claimed the charity was late in submitting its 2022 tax return or related costs.
Reports suggested the team was unaware the cheque had been lost until the delinquency notice was served on May 3.
The notice to Archewell Foundation states: “The above captioned entity is listed as delinquent with the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers for failing to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees.
“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.”
What does 'delinquency' mean?
IN business terms, delinquency refers to the state of being past due on a debt.
- Delinquency happens when a borrower misses a payment on a loan, which can affect their credit score.
- Delinquency rates are used to show how many accounts in a financial institution’s portfolio are delinquent.
- When a charitable organisation fails to submit complete filings for each fiscal year, its status on the Attorney General’s Registry of Charities and Fundraisers will be listed as Delinquent.
- If the delinquency is not remedied, the Registry status will be further changed to Suspended, and/or Revoked.
- A charity that is not in good standing with the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers may not operate or take donations.
Source; oag.ca.gov
Archewell was urged to quickly sent all the necessary forms and fees “immediately” and was said to have done so – sending through a second cheque.
The notice, from California’s Department of Justice, read: “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.”
It comes after the Sussexes charity last year reported taking a massive hit.
In December Archwell was said to have suffered a whopping £8.7million drop in donations compared to the previous year.
It was revealed funds raised in 2022 had plummeted to just over £1.6m, compared to the £10.3m it was gifted in 2021.
In addition, only two major anonymous donors contributed £795,210 ($1million) each.
Harry and Meghan’s Foundation also recorded a loss of £536,357 ($674,485) due to the shortfall in donations as revenue was recorded at $2million while costs were $2.67million.
NIGERIA ‘VICTORY’
Despite Archewell making headlines, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a statement that seemingly ignored the reports.
Harry and Meghan issued a statement about their “unforgettable” visit to Nigeria on the Sussex website.
It read: “Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex concluded their unforgettable trip to Nigeria with a cultural reception in Lagos and a polo match fundraiser for Nigeria: Unconquered.”
Their statement touched on a pre-game parade and a “vibrant display of young enthusiasts in polo gear”.
Richard Fitzwilliams royal expert comment
ROYAL commentator Richard Fitzwilliams spoke to the The Sun Online about the Archewell charity drama.
He said: “It was simply undoubtedly very careless that this happened.”I think that this must be cleared up immediately.
“What has been reported is clearly an extremely unfortunate mistake, but it has got them a lot of very bad publicity which they could do without.
“I mean, there’s one one thing when you are in charge of a charity, its reputation is everything.
“The fact that it apparently has been given a delinquency notice by the California’s Attorney General, because its financial affairs are not in order is not good.
“Obviously this sort of publicity is extremely careless.
“No charity wants to have this attached to it, it because it puts the spotlight on Archewell.
“The way Archewell has been run, there are curious things about it, because it doesn’t seem to have taken off in the way you would have expected as a charity, say, run by a Listers, or by members of the royal family, which they are.
“In 2021 they raised 13 million pounds. They gave away several million and charitable donations.
“If you actually look the list of charities Archewell has contributed to in various parts of the world, and for various good causes it is impressive.
“However, in 2022 they made there was an 11 million drop in donations.
“And though we must mention that they still have the assets of over eight million dollars, what got a lot of publicity was the chief executives’ salary up some 280 per cent.
“Now there’s absolutely no doubt that after a trip which could be considered successful, it will be interesting to see whether Archewell is actually able to fulfill its potential somewhat more.
“I say this because it said the 13 million received, 10 million came from one donor. The vast majority came apparently from two donors.
“Now, that’s not many. What you’re expecting from a-listers and members of the Royal family is a great deal more than that, a far larger number of people to be involved. They don’t seem to get many public donations.
“Archewell clearly needs a boost.
“The facts of the matter are Archewell hasn’t fulfilled its potential when it comes to the level of donations and the numbers of people involved in donations.
“Equally, they do have some eight million dollars there, but they unquestionably are still pretty embryonic.”
They hailed the jubilant day “filled with sport and spirit”.
The couple’s message concluded with an extension of their “deepest gratitude” to the welcoming Nigerian community for their “tremendous hospitality”.
The couple unveiled a partnership between Archewell and non-profit Giants of Africa, which aims to empower young people through sport, on their Nigeria trip.
Harry was also on a three-day tour of the African nation to promote his Invictus Games for wounded veterans.
He arrived with Meghan in the capital Abuja on Friday, when they attended a school event highlighting mental health.
The prince also met wounded Nigerian soldiers in the north-west of the country.
