Meghan Markle gushes about ‘incredibly memorable’ Nigerian tour and compares the ‘promise and excitement’ of the young girls and boys she met to her own children Archie and Lilibet
Meghan Markle has said she sees herself in the young girls she met in Nigeria and she hopes to ’empower them’ for the future.
Speaking to People Magazine, the Duchess of Sussex, 42, said her quasi-royal tour was ‘incredibly memorable and special’ and that the ‘best souvenir’ to take with her was the memories she made.
Speaking of the young children she met on the trip, which included visits to two schools, Meghan said: ‘I saw myself in them. I see the potential in all of these young girls — and, by the way, in these young boys as well,’
She also compared it to her children Prince Archie, five, and Princess Lilibet, two.
‘It’s what we see in our own children — to give them that promise and excitement for their futures.’
Meghan Markle has said she sees herself in the young girls she met in Nigeria and she hopes to ’empower them’ for the future
Speaking to People Magazine , the Duchess of Sussex , 42, said her quasi-royal tour was ‘incredibly memorable and special’ and that the ‘best souvenir’ to take with her was the memories she made
She explained that she ‘always reflected back on herself as a young girl’ and the ‘type of inspiration’ she wanted to see in other women.
The former actress added that it was ‘really meaningful’ to travel and ‘connect to people’.
Meanwhile, Harry said that these ‘trips are about us being able to go out and go and focus on the things that mean so much to us’ adding that ‘being on the ground is what it’s all about’.
Harry, 39, added that there’s ‘only so much one can do over Zoom’.
He added that he looks forward to travelling with Archewell and other causes.
‘You know what Africa means to me over the years. It is a very, very special place, and to be able to include Nigeria now [in Invictus], I’m very happy.’
It comes as Meghan and Harry’s Archewell Foundation has now been placed ‘in good standing’ with state officials in California following days of confusion that saw the non-profit banned from raising or spending any cash.
A row erupted after the charity was declared ‘delinquent’ and ‘not in good standing’ by the Registry of Charities and Fundraisers in the US state, where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex live in a £12million mansion.
The registry said Archewell had failed to submit its annual report or renewal fees, while sources close to the Sussexes insisted it was because the Attorney General’s office did not process a $200 cheque they previously thought lost in the post.
Since then, the charity says it has been in touch with California’s Department of Justice (DoJ), which operates the registry, to clear up the confusion.
The DoJ says it considers the matter closed and that, as of now, the Archewell Foundation is ‘current and in good standing’ with Californian authorities.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex at the Lagos State Governor’s House in Nigeria on May 12
A delinquency notice letter was sent to the Archewell Foundation on May 3 saying the charity is ‘listed as delinquent’ for ‘failing to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees’
But the organisation’s registry status is now ‘current’ after the row over an unpaid renewal fee was resolved
A spokesperson for the Archewell Foundation 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.’
Sources within the Sussexes’ charitable endeavour say the situation has now been ‘diligently investigated’ and maintain that it remains ‘fully compliant’.
It is understood that conflicting claims regarding what had happened coming from Archewell this week over the Department of Justice’s issuing of a notice of ‘delinquency’ was in part down to many of the Sussexes team travelling in Nigeria.
The sources say payments were made promptly and ‘in accordance with’ the IRS’s processes and procedures and paperwork filed correctly, ‘without error or wrongdoing’.
They added that records proved the required payment of $200 was delivered last November via tracked post.
A search of the registry confirms the organisation’s status with the DoJ is ‘current’. Its most recent renewal documents were marked as being received today.
In a written statement issued to MailOnline, the California DoJ said: ‘After being in touch with our Registry of Charities and Fundraisers, the organization is current and in good standing.’
The registry previously said Archewell failed to properly submit its annual report or renewal fees and has banned it from either fundraising or doling out grants.
A letter, sent on behalf of Attorney General Rob Bonta, noted: ‘An organisation that is listed as delinquent is not in good standing and is prohibited from engaging in… soliciting or disbursing charitable funds.’
In March, Harry and Meghan congratulated computer scientist and digital activist Dr Joy Buolamwini for winning the NAACP Archewell Foundation Digital Civil Rights Award
Harry and Meghan also visited the Archewell Foundation’s San Antonio Welcome Project in March, which supports women who have recently moved to the US from Afghanistan
Sussex sources had claimed the ‘delinquency notice’ was actually issued because Bonta’s office did not process the $200 renewal cheque.
This was a different explanation to the one offered by the same Sussex sources last night, who claimed that the paperwork was filed on time but the discrepancy was down to a cheque which accompanied the documents going missing in the post.
Sussex sources had told MailOnline the Archewell Foundation’s tax filings for 2022 were submitted in full in accordance with all regulations in the US, which was widely reported in the media last December – including by this website.
They said the California state filing, renewal and required payment were sent and delivered to the Attorney General’s office via tracked mail, and received on time.
However, the delinquency notice was then issued on May 3 because the cheque had not been processed by the Attorney General’s Office, according to the sources.
Until Archewell Foundation officials could confirm the tracked mail and receive acknowledgment of receipt, they assumed that the cheque had been lost in the mail – hence the initial explanation, which has now turned out to be false.
The $200 cheque was for an annual registration renewal fee, which is determined by a sliding scale based on an organisation’s total revenue.
In Archewell’s case, its most recent revenue was about $2million – putting it within the ‘between $1,000,001 and $5 million’ section of the sliding scale.
The $200 figure has been confirmed to MailOnline by a source close to the Sussexes.
The foundation is separate from the couple’s Archewell media and business divisions
Harry and Meghan attend a polo fundraising event in Lagos during their Nigeria tour on May 12
A physical cheque was part of the filing sent to the California Attorney General’s Office and it is understood that a new one has been sent to resolve the issue.
In the initial explanation on behalf of the Sussexes yesterday, which has since been superseded by today’s clarification, an Archewell source said: ‘For the foundation, everything was filed on time.
‘Part of that filing was a physical cheque. That cheque appears to have never been received, which we were only made aware of when this delinquency notice was published.
‘A new cheque has been mailed and we anticipate that this will be quickly resolved and reflected in records within seven business days.’
It comes as the couple were yesterday flying back from a high profile three-day visit to Abuja and Lagos in Nigeria that was dubbed a royal tour in all but name.
During the trip the Sussexes announced a partnership between the Archewell Foundation and the Geanco Foundation, a charity in Nigeria which leads surgical missions, promotes maternal health and provides scholarships to young female victims of terrorism.
The Archewell Foundation is a non-profit organisation created by Harry and Meghan when they moved to the US after stepping down as senior royals in 2020.
On its website, it says its mission is to ‘show up, do good’, adding: ‘We meet the moment by showing up, taking action and using our unparalleled spotlight to uplift and unite communities – local and global – through acts of service and compassion.’
The foundation is separate from the couple’s Archewell media and business divisions which have been involved in the Netflix and Spotify productions.
The couple were invited to the West African nation by its military, and attended events related to Harry’s Invictus Games, which Nigeria is seeking to host in future.
The couple were also welcomed at the Lagos State Government House and met military officials at the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.
According to tax filings disclosed by Archewell last December, the organisation had suffered an $11million (£9million) decline in donations in 2022 compared to the previous year.
The records showed that the charity received just over $2million (£1.6million) in charitable donations in 2022 compared to $13million (£10million) in 2021.
And while in 2021 Archewell had reported a revenue of more than $9million (£7million), the December 2023 filings showed that by 2022 it had recorded a loss of more than $674,000 (£537,000) due to costs of $2.67million (£2.13million).
