Prince Harry and Meghan Markle ‘only work one hour a week at Archewell Foundation’

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex at the 2022 Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Ripple of Hope Gala in New York. Photo / Getty Images

Prince Harry and his wife Meghan have reportedly been working one hour a week at their Archewell Foundation.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex also dished out more than US$3 million ($4.8m) in grants after they raised $13m from “two wealthy benefactors”, according to a report on its newly released 2021 tax records.

DailyMail.com, which obtained the public documents, said Harry, 38, and Meghan, 41, “only worked one hour each a week at the foundation, thus, 52 hours a year”.

The outlet added the 990 tax return, which it said appeared on the IRS’ website, shows the foundation – named after the Sussexes’ 3-year-old son Archie – gave out US$3,096,319 in grants, and raised “less than $4500 in public donations”.

The foundation is apparently “mostly propped up by two wealthy philanthropists who contributed a combined US$13 million”, according to the Mail’s analysis of the documents.

Papers were also said to show the charity spent US$163,085 on salaries – and while Harry and Meghan did not take a wage, its CEO James Holt has apparently received a $59,846 salary and $3832 in other benefits.

Two other salaries are reportedly on the tax return – US$40,867 for “programme service” and $22,811 for “management and general expenses”, suggesting the charity has three paid staff.

It’s been widely reported 16 employees have left the overall Archewell brand – a mix of non-profit and for-profit business including Archewell Productions and Archewell Audio.

The Mail said Harry and Meghan, who also have 21-month-old daughter Lilibet, declare in their tax filing Archewell’s key mission is to “uplift” and “unite” communities “one act of compassion at a time”.

They are said to have added in the documents: “Archewell Foundation believes that compassion is the defining cultural force of the 21st century and, through its work, Archewell Foundation supports a growing community of partner organisations fuelling systemic cultural change”.

“Archewell Foundation listens to people and their communities, helps them tell their stories, puts real action behind its words, and spotlights a new generation of leadership.”

Harry and Meghan’s foundation impact report released in January said it helped pay for 12.66 million Covid vaccinations globally while working with anti-poverty charity Global Citizen. Money was also given to charities supporting refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine.