California's Attorney General's Office Confirms That Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's Nonprofit Archewell Is "In Good Standing"

Update 5/17: The California Attorney General's office confirmed to People that the issue had been resolved: “After being in touch with our Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, the organization is current and in good standing," it said in a statement.

Update 5/15: On Tuesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom gave a speech surrounding his state's work on the mental health system, in which he provided clarification on Archewell's standing. "It was a very typical, technical issue around paperwork that persists for so many others as well," Governor Newsom said. "They're in full compliance, and they're a celebrated organization that does great work in the state of California."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Archewell told Marie Claire, "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."

Original story: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are facing an unfortunate situation with their charity, the Archewell Foundation.

On Monday, Page Six reported that a letter from California Attorney General Rob Bonta had declared Archewell "delinquent" with the state's Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, and ordered the organization to halt the soliciting and distribution of funds.

While "delinquent" sounds dire, and well, it technically is, it seems like this all amounts to an oversight/postal error, and should be resolved soon.

Basically, according to a source who spoke to Page Six, a physical check Archewell had sent to cover its registration fees never arrived, causing the charity to fall out of good standing.

The Attorney General's letter—which was apparently the first Archewell heard of the mishap—described delinquency as follows: "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 organization may also be subject to penalties and its registration may be suspended or revoked by the Registry."

Archewell has reportedly now sent a new check, and should return to good standing promptly.

Archewell was established in 2020 after the Duke and Duchess of Sussex stepped down from their roles as senior royals and moved to Southern California permanently.

The organization supports several causes close to the Sussexes' hearts, including building a healthier internet, bettering communities, fighting misinformation, and supporting mental health.

The delinquency news came just as the royal couple capped off their three-day visit to Nigeria, where they had official engagements with local communities and organizations on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.

Following Harry's frosty reception in his home country, the U.K., last week, the royal couple appeared to be welcomed with open arms in the West African country.