Meghan Markle and Prince Harry announce plans to launch new foundation — which they say inspired son Archie's name
Within a week of officially stepping back as senior royals, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have made a major announcement and revealed their brand-new foundation.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have unveiled their new nonprofit organization, which they have named Archewell.
Paperwork obtained by U.K. newspaper the Daily Telegraph revealed the couple were looking to create their own charity and website.
This would be to replace their Sussex Royal brand, having been told by the queen not to use the word “royal.”
In a statement to the publication, the couple revealed the Greek word “arche,” meaning “source of action,” was also the inspiration behind their son’s name, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.
“We connected to this concept for the charitable organization we hoped to build one day, and it became the inspiration for our son’s name. To do something of meaning, to do something that matters,” the statement said.
“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.”
The pair said more details on the organization would be announced “when the time is right,” as their focus for now remains on the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
“Like you, our focus is on supporting efforts to tackle the global COVID-19 pandemic but faced with this information coming to light, we felt compelled to share the story of how this came to be,” they said in a statement.
Harry and Meghan officially bid farewell to royal life on March 31 with a final post on their Sussex Royal Instagram page.
The Sussexes told fans “you may not see us here” and said they will focus on their family in the next few months as they enter a new chapter amid a global pandemic.
They signed it off with their first names in what appears to be a transition, having previously ended statements with their titles, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.
Their future plans may be somewhat delayed as the world grapples with the outbreak of COVID-19.
“What’s most important right now is the health and wellbeing of everyone across the globe and finding solutions for the many issues that have presented themselves as a result of this pandemic,” the pair said in the post.
“As we all find the part we are to play in this global shift and changing of habits, we are focusing this new chapter to understand how we can best contribute.
“While you may not see us here, the work continues.”
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