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Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have praised their “unforgettable” tour of Nigeria amid a furore surrounding their charity’s paperwork.
The couple visited the country for three days to mark the 10th anniversary of the Duke of Sussex’s Invictus Games.
Taking to their website, the couple described the unofficial visit as “unforgettable” and said it will be the “first of many memorable trips”.
The statement came after news of the state of California declaring the couple’s charity “delinquent”.
The Archewell Foundation was given the status after “failing to submit [the] required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees”.
However, on Tuesday evening it emerged that the fees and paperwork had been submitted properly – last year – and so the charity is no longer listed as delinquent.
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.”
The news comes after a striking new portrait of King Charles was unveiled, the first commissioned since the coronation.
Queen Camilla pledges to stop buying fur
Queen Camilla has pledged to stop buying fur in the Monarchy’s latest move towards a more cruelty-free existence.
The news was welcomed by the organisation’s managing director Ingrid Newkirk, who said: “It’s right and proper for the British monarchy to reflect British values by recognising that fur has no place in our society.”
Camilla’s decision to stop buying fur comes after the palace banned foie gras and anointed the King with “cruelty-free oil”.
Emma Guinness15 May 2024 12:00
King Charles and Queen Camilla arrive at St Paul’s Cathedral a week after Harry snub
Their arrival at the historic building comes a week after it hosted a thanksgiving service for Prince Harry’s Invictus Games, which was attended by none of his immediate family.
The couple will now attend a service with almost 2,000 people who hold Orders, including CBEs, OBEs, MBEs and British Empire Medals.
Emma Guinness15 May 2024 11:23
King Charles offered Prince Harry a royal residence on recent trip to UK
The news comes after a tumultuous visit for the pair after the King appeared to snub his youngest son twice as he visited his home country to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
The first alleged snub came when it was reported that the King was too busy to meet on the visit, and the second came when it was announced that Prince William was about to become the colonel-in-chief of Harry’s old military regiment, the Army Air Corps.
The King’s friends, however, have contested what happened, The Telegraph reports.
One said: “While he was hardly going to roll out the red carpet the moment this Invictus trip was announced, with doctors advising him to focus on his treatment and recovery, the idea that he refused to find space in his diary … well, let’s say recollections may vary once again.”
Prince Harry is reported to have stayed in a London hotel on last week’s trip after giving up his UK residence, Frogmore Cottage, at his father’s request.
Emma Guinness15 May 2024 11:00
Meghan Markle opens up about Nigerian heritage
Meghan Markle, 42, said a DNA test revealed she was 43 percent Nigerian and discussed her heritage on a recent trip to the country to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Invictus Games.
“It’s been eye-opening to be able to know more about my heritage,” she said at a woman in leadership event.
“Never in a million years would I understand it as much as I do now. And what has been echoed so much in the past day is, ‘Oh, we are not so surprised when we found out you are Nigerian’.
“It is a compliment to you because what they define as a Nigerian woman is brave, resilient, courageous, beautiful.”
Emma Guinness15 May 2024 10:30
Meghan and Harry defended by California governor after Archewell declared ‘delinquent’
The governor of California has defended Prince Harry and Meghan Markle after their charity was declared “delinquent” by the state.
A spokesperson for the Archewell Foundation confirmed that this was the result of a renewal fee cheque that went missing in the post, adding that it has now been resent.
“It was a technical paperwork issue that was wildly over-hyped,” declared California Governor Gavin Newsom.
However, until the issue is resolved, the charity can no longer distribute or solicit funds.
Emma Guinness15 May 2024 10:00
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle arrive back in LA
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex spent three days in the country celebrating the 10th anniversary of Prince Harry’s Invictus Games.
While there, Meghan described Nigeria as “her country” after a DNA test said she was 43 percent Nigerian.
The tour, which was undertaken in their capacity as private citizens, was described as “fantastic” by the couple who said it will be the “first of many memorable trips”.
They now have to face up to the trouble their charity, the Archewell Foundation, faces in America after it was declared “delinquent” by the state of California while they were overseas.
This was reportedly because of a $200 cheque that was lost in the post, which a representative has confirmed has now been reissued.
But until the issue is resolved, the Archewell Foundation cannot distribute or raise funds.
Emma Guinness15 May 2024 09:30
Prince Harry increases demand for ‘tapping therapy'
The technique was showcased by the Duke of Sussex, 39, in the Apple TV documentary The Me You Can’t See, where he explained that he uses it to help him cope with the symptoms of trauma and PTSD.
Tapping therapy, as its name suggests, sees patients or therapists tap on the body to create what’s known as “bilateral stimulation”.
This alternatively activates both sides of the brain and it is believed to have a calming effect.
Dr Charlotte Russell, a clinical psychologist, ran a poll about its popularity in the past five years and found that 84 percent of respondents agreed that the demand for psychological therapy has increased in this time – with 16 percent strongly agreeing.
“I think Prince Harry being so open about having therapy and EMDR is another one of those things that has contributed to the change in attitude about psychological therapy and that becoming more normalised,” she said.
Emma Guinness15 May 2024 09:00
King Charles honours woman who punched crocodile to save twin
Georgia Laurie, 31, has been given the King’s Gallantry Medal, awarded for “exemplary acts of bravery”, for her actions in Mexico in June 2021.
The twin, from Berkshire, England, leapt into action to save her sister after a guide wrongfully informed their group that it was safe to swim in a river off the Manialtepec Lagoon in Puerto Escondido.
Recalling the incident to The Times, Laurie said: “I drew such deep strength from somewhere, from her, from my love for Melissa and eventually the crocodile moved off.”
Emma Guinness15 May 2024 08:47
King unveils first completed official portrait of himself since coronation
The King has unveiled the first completed official portrait of himself since the coronation, which includes one detail Charles suggested should be added.
The portrait, by British artist Jonathan Yeo, was commissioned in 2020 to celebrate the then Prince of Wales’s 50 years as a member of The Drapers’ Company in 2022.
The portrait, which was unveiled on Tuesday afternoon at Buckingham Palace, depicts Charles wearing the uniform of the Welsh Guards, of which he was made Regimental Colonel in 1975.
Jordan Reynolds reports:
Tara Cobham15 May 2024 07:30
Might Harry and Meghan’s original Megxit plan actually have worked?
The ‘Megmania’ witnessed during the Sussexes’ tour of Nigeria suggests that their blueprint – to be ‘half-in, half-out’ royals – had merit, says Sean O’Grady:
It may not have been an official “royal visit”, but anyone watching the coverage of Prince Harry and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex visiting Nigeria, in aid of the Invictus Games and its charitable foundation, could have been forgiven for thinking that it was.
The pair have some celebrity and fame, and no one, leastways outside palace circles, seems all that fussed about whether the pair are classified as “working” or “non-working” royals: “Megmania” gripped this part of west Africa, in any case. Harry is a Prince, his wife is a duchess, his dad is the king and head of the Commonwealth, and no amount of alienation or briefing can alter that. In Lagos State, he was given a prince’s welcome.
Maryam Zakir-Hussain15 May 2024 07:00