Meghan Markle & Prince Harry Archewell Nonprofit Details

(Image credit: WPA Pool)

published 7 April 2020

After it was reported that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry had officially shut down their Sussex Royal account, The Telegraph spoke to them about their new venture, Archewell.
The plans are wide-ranging, including counseling services, education materials, and a lifestyle website.
The couple are self-isolating in L.A., including from family members like Meghan's mom, which is no doubt impacting the timing of this venture too.

As reported by Hannah Furness of The Telegraph, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have exclusively spoken about their new nonprofit "empire," which will be called Archewell. It derives from the Greek word "arche" meaning "source of action." Also, there are huge plans for it, including "emotional support groups, a multi-media educational empire, and even...a wellbeing website." Get this—apparently the Greek word is also the inspiration for their son Archie's name! I didn't know that! Apparently alternatives they were considering were "Arche Foundation" and "Archeway."

The plans are apparently much, much broader in scope than the plans for the original Sussex Royal nonprofit. With this new venture, we're talking potentially:

Charity/volunteering services: "Organizing and conducting support groups for persons in need," including "emotional counseling" and "coordinating social, personal care, and psychological services"
A large, comprehensive website
"Education and training materials," i.e., the potential to "self-publish articles, magazines, books, music, podcasts, television shows, and computer software"
Trademark requests "for everything from motion picture films to paperclips" (some of these are to protect anyone else from using them and making money, like on clothing)
"Classes, lectures, seminars, conferences, workshops, and retreats on a variety of topics"
Mentoring
"Events and exhibitions for cultural, sporting, health, mental health and entertainment purposes"

The couple told The Telegraph they wanted "to do something of meaning, to do something that matters." And Meghan may even tap into her old lifestyle branding skills: "The new American venture could even see the Duchess build on the success of her old Goop-style website The Tig, with a 'website featuring information in the field of nutrition, general health and mental health,' along with entertainment."

The couple said they were hoping not to announce yet, in favor of not drawing away attention from the coronavirus, but once they filed in the U.S. in the public domain, The Telegraph saw it, and the couple confirmed their plans.

They explained, "Before SussexRoyal, came the idea of 'Arche'...Archewell is a name that combines an ancient word for strength and action, and another that evokes the deep resources we each must draw upon. We look forward to launching Archewell when the time is right." So TBD on the exact time for the new venture launch, but keep an eye out—it sounds like plans are already well underway.

As a reminder, at the end of March, they closed down the Sussex Royal account completely (and have now apparently turned off comments):

A post shared by The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (@sussexroyal)
A photo posted by on

Which means that the next account to follow will be Archewell—so stay tuned.

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Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award.

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.