Gavin Newsom Rides to Prince Harry and Meghan’s Rescue

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s charity is no longer listed as “delinquent” after what was described as a “wildly over-hyped” paperwork issue by California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex were traveling back from a successful visit to Nigeria when news broke that their Archewell Foundation had been sent a letter by California’s attorney general suggesting there were unpaid fees or missing forms.

The issue was potentially serious as “delinquent” status prevents fundraising and in the longer term can lead to tax exempt status being revoked.

However, the Sussex Team believe they didn’t make a mistake, after they submitted the relevant paperwork and paid on time last year.

Gavin Newsom was emphatic in his defense of the couple at a press conference on Tuesday when he said it was an “unbelievable amount of attention that has been placed on the Archewell Foundation.

“I’m here at a behavioral health site, a mental health site, Archewell Foundation, run by Meghan Markle and Prince Harry, they do extraordinary work, particularly women and girls, but notably around mental health.

“I just want folks to know, not only are they in compliance, it was a technical paperwork issue that was wildly over-hyped and with respect I hope people who ran those headlines run this headline—that it was a very typical, technical issue around paperwork that persists for so many others as well.

“And they’re in full compliance and they’re a celebrated organization that does great work in the state of California.”

Frustratingly for Harry and Meghan, the saga appears to have blown up over a mere $200 administration fee and some filings, which they believe were submitted correctly anyway. For context, Harry looks likely to have to fork out somewhere in the region of $2 million for lawsuits in Britain that he either lost or withdrew from.

An Archewell spokesperson said: “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.”

Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on Twitter at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek’s The Royals Facebook page.

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