By Daily Mail (U.S.) | Created at 2026-08-06 14:57:09 | Updated at 2026-08-06 19:29:23
7 hours ago
The Duchess of Sussex marked her 45th birthday this week by posting a photograph online of her leaping into an outdoor swimming pool while holding a bunch of balloons and wearing a pair of sunglasses – as you do.
It is, however, her estranged brother-in-law and his wife who have something to celebrate.
I hear that the Prince and Princess of Wales have continued to charm supporters in Meghan's native America, with newly published figures for their charity revealing their growing popularity across the Atlantic.
It comes after it was announced that Prince Harry and Meghan's charitable arm, Archewell Philanthropies, was undergoing a 'reset' after making some staff redundant in December to streamline the operation. Despite the setback, the Sussexes have promised to 'broaden their global philanthropic efforts'.
Meanwhile, accounts filed this week at the Charity Commission reveal that the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales received an astonishing £8.7million last year from its US office.
The monies from the 'American Friends' branch of the foundation, which is a separately controlled entity established in 2011, is almost £4million up on the £4.9million that it handed out in 2024.
The generosity of their US supporters is so great that it accounts for 44 per cent of the foundation's total reported income of £19.6million in 2025.
The Duchess of Sussex marked her 45th birthday this week by posting a photograph of her leaping into an outdoor swimming pool
When Harry and Meghan moved to California, their supporters expected them to raise millions with the help of a 'court' of wealthy American friends
The accounts report that the foundation retained £10.6million in funds as of December 2025 after spending £16.5million on its charitable activities. These include Catherine's Early Years programme supporting young children, William's crusade to end rough sleeping through his Homewards initiative, and United for Wildlife, a new enterprise launched last year to help tackle the illegal trafficking of animals.
Staff costs at the Royal Foundation ran to £6.4million, as its headcount increased to 80 from 67 in 2024.
Since 2022, the Royal Foundation has been entirely separate from the Earthshot Prize, which was established by William and Catherine 'to find, support and celebrate those who turn bold ideas into real solutions to repair our planet'.
The Earthshot's total income for 2024 was £23.5million, which included a 68 per cent increase in donations, up from £12.8million to £21.4million.
Those figures must now seem remote to Harry and Meghan, who announced that they would form their own charitable organisation, Archewell, after they quit royal duties in 2020.
When they moved to California, their supporters expected them to raise millions with the help of a 'court' of wealthy American friends such as Oprah Winfrey and journalist and TV personality Gayle King.
Meanwhile, accounts reveal that the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales received an astonishing £8.7million last year from its US office
However, Archewell's latest accounts report total revenues in 2024 of just $2.6million (£1.93million). They brought in $5.7million (£4.25million) the previous year.
Harry had something of an annus horribilis last year when it came to his charitable endeavours. Much to his distress, he stepped down as patron of Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in 2006 for children with HIV in Lesotho and Botswana. He concluded early in 2025 that his relationship with the organisation's chairman, Sophie Chandauka, had deteriorated 'beyond repair'.
Dr Chandauka claimed that Harry and Meghan's decision to quit royal duties had led to a loss of sponsors.
Harry is now being sued by Sentebale, which said it had suffered 'operational disruption and reputational harm' and faced 'an onslaught of cyber-bullying directed at the charity and its leadership'.
The libel and slander lawsuit, against both Harry and his friend and former royal equerry Mark Dyer, was launched in April at the High Court in London.
A spokesman for Sentebale said the legal action was being paid for 'entirely by external funding' and none of the charity's money was being used. A spokesman for Harry and Dyer said they reject the 'offensive and damaging claims'.
Following the admirable idealism behind establishing Sentebale and Archewell, there is a danger that Harry becomes better known for his court battles.
