The Sussexes are ending the year with a huge announcement about the future of one of their most cherished work projects. It comes as Meghan is reportedly making a shock return to Hollywood
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have made a huge announcement about their “next chapter” in a rare joint statement.
Addressing the future of their most cherished work project, Meghan and Harry have confirmed that their shared charity, the Archewell Foundation, will be renamed Archewell Philanthorpies – five years after being founded.
Before the Sussexes self-exiled from royal life and moved to America in 2020, they were frustrated that Buckingham Palace had thrwarted their plans to develop their “SussexRoyal” brand. After the late Queen made it clear that a “half in, half out” deal was not on the table – meaning the couple couldn’t use their working royal status for monetary gain – the couple stepped down from duties altogether, in favour of pursuing charitable and commercial projects in the States. And one of the first ventures they set up was their Archewell project.
Announcing the name change, a spokeswoman for Harry and Meghan said: “This next chapter allows Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to broaden their global philanthropic efforts as a family, with meaningful reach and maximum impact, grounded in the same values, partnerships, and their commitment to show up and do good.”
READ MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan ‘set staggering six-figure price for exclusive dinner’READ MORE: Should Beatrice and Eugenie become full-time royals to shake up Firm? Have your say
This year, the foundation funded support for children affected by conflict in Gaza and Ukraine and advocated for the responsible development of artificial intelligence (AI). The Archewell Foundation takes its name from “arche”, the ancient Greek work meaning “source of action”, and “well”, symbolising “a plentiful source or supply, a place we go to dig deep”.
Reacting to the news, Mayah Riaz, PR to the stars, told the Mirror: “From a branding perspective, this is a smart and I’d say quite deliberate evolution rather than a reinvention. Moving from ‘Foundation’ to |”Philanthropies” signals scale, maturity and longevity. In branding terms, it’s a way of future proofing the name as their work expands beyond individual projects.”
She added: “I also think there is a reputational message here. ‘Philanthropies’ feels more global, more institutional and less personal. That can be helpful for Harry and Meghan at this stage, as it shifts the focus away from them as personalities and more towards impact, outcomes and credibility. It positions Archewell as something that could stand on its own, even without their names being front and centre.”
The announcement comes against the backdrop of a very transformative year for Harry and Meghan, with the Duchess shifting the focus of her career in a return to TV. The former Suits actress has returned to influencing with the revival of her personal Instagram account, released two iterations of her Netflix lifestyle and cooking show, With Love Meghan, grown her lifestyle brand As Ever, and is even set to star in an upcoming film. According to Variety, she is making a cameo as herself in the Amazon MGM Studios production Close Personal Friends. The film stars Lily Collins, Brie Larson, Jack Quaid, and Henry Golding.
Just six months after they stepped down as working royals, Meghan and Harry signed an exclusive deal with Netflix, which was said to be worth about $100million (£74million). In August, the Sussexes extended their agreement with the streamer – but with a significant change. The couple signed a “first-look deal” rather than an overall deal, meaning that the streaming entertainment giant will be able to say yes or no to their content before anyone else, but are under no obligation to stream it. Many experts deemed this new deal to be somewhat of a downgrade.
Royal author Tom Bower recently told The Mirror that Meghan is facing huge pressure over her reality TV career and lifestyle brand, As Ever, following the largely negative reviews of her latest Holiday Celebration edition of With Love, Meghan, which launched on 3 December. “This Christmas is make-or-break time for Meghan because there are two main problems – money and profile,” he told us.
“Her lifestyle shows are clearly not taking off. She put on a great show in terms of looking great and pretending nothing is wrong, but the reality is it’s not a great success, to say the least.
“It hinges on how much Meghan can sell at Christmas and if it doesn’t sell, she has a real problem. Are people prepared to pay $32 for a jar of honey from the Duchess of Sussex? If it doesn’t work this Christmas, they have a real problem about what they will do in 2026.”
The writer also describes Harry as a “declining asset” in the family, as his list of official roles shrunk when he stepped back from the Sentebale charity in March amid a huge boardroom battle. “The fate of Sentebale is OK without him, so what’s he got? The next Invictus Games is in 2027, so what is he going to do for a year?” Tom said. “There’s just no easy solution to the problem they have.”
And royal historian Marlene Koenig believes the Duke of Sussex is still facing a “struggle” to find his place beyond the gilded gates of Buckingham Palace, especially in terms of “trying to be a breadwinner” for his wife and children. According to the expert, the father of two, who previously served as a soldier in Afghanistan, could be missing out on professional fulfilment.
Ms Koenig told US Weekly: “I’m not sure if Harry has regrets about leaving, as he is determined to build a new life in the US. “But he hasn’t been entirely successful, especially in terms of earning money for the family. That seems to have fallen on Meghan.”
She added: “He was always expected to play a supportive but not a supporting role. He may be comfortable in his California home with his wife and two adorable children, but what he hasn’t found yet is the comfort of a success outside at home.”
The Sussex’ Archewell project has not been without its controversies. In 2024, the charity was declared “delinquent” in the US and ordered to suspend all fundraising and spending. Archewell had allowed its registration fees to lapse, according to an official letter from California’s attorney general, Rob Bonta. It was categorised as “delinquent” in the registry of charities and fundraisers due to its failure to submit its annual report and registration fees.
The note said the charity was, at that stage, considered “not in good standing” and was restricted from undertaking activities requiring registration, such as soliciting or distributing charitable funds. It added at the time: “The organisation may also be subject to penalties, and its registration may be suspended or revoked.”
A source close to the couple said that officials filed the paperwork on time with a cheque, but it was not cashed. They told The Mirror: “As soon as the foundation learnt of the problem, they immediately issued another cheque. Harry and Meghan’s team hope this will quickly resolve the issue.”
Days after the scandal broke, a spokesperson for Archewell said that the foundation “diligently investigated the situation” and confirmed that it was “fully compliant and in good standing.” They said: “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.”
The matter was quickly resolved and the charity is no longer listed as “delinquent”. The governor of California, Gavin Newsom, said at the time that couple faced “a very typical technical issue around paperwork” and an “unfair” pile-on because of it.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: mirror.co.uk
