Meghan, Harry's charity declared 'illegal', barred from raising money
Entertainment
The organisation may also be subject to penalties
(Web Desk) - Meghan Markle and Prince Harry have been ordered to halt soliciting or spending for their Archewell Foundation after being declared delinquent by the California Registry of Charities and Fundraisers.
On May 3, the Attorney General of California Rob Bonta issued a delinquency notice on behalf of the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers to the Archewell Foundation.
According to the document obtained by PEOPLE, the organization is "listed as delinquent with the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers for failing to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees."
"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 letter outlines.
"The organization 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."
According to a source, the Archewell Foundation filed on time, but a check that was sent was never received. The foundation only became aware of this when the delinquency notice was issued.
A new check has been sent by mail, and the Archewell Foundation expects the issue to be quickly resolved and reflected in the records within the next seven business days.
Prince Harry and Meghan previously said Archewell was inspired by "arche," the Greek word meaning "source of action", and predates the name of their 5-year-old son, Prince Archie.
It also lends its name to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's production company, Archewell Productions.
The Archewell Foundation shared two updates during Harry and Meghan's trip to Nigeria from May 10 to May 12.
The visit was significant as their first international tour since stepping back from their royal roles in 2020, and the couple traveled at the invitation of the Nigerian Chief of Defense Staff, the country's highest-ranking military official.
