What do King Charles, Prince William and Prince Harry all have in common? They all have bald genes and they all have their own stand-alone foundations. King Charles’s foundation is mired in controversy and financial shenanigans, and Charles has a long history of taking bags of cash and checks from Bin Ladens to keep his foundation afloat. William and Kate’s foundation is shady as hell too – millions out the door, mismanaged or spent lavishly to embiggen Will and Kate personally and finance their idiotic busywork. Meanwhile, the Sussexes’ Archewell Foundation is relatively modest, and they’re mostly handing out smaller grants to charities and NGOs. Guess which one of these foundations is being highlighted by Richard Eden to make the point that royal foundations are bad, bad, bad?
Egotistical royals should stick to helping existing charities instead of seeking to create their own, according to the Daily Mail’s Richard Eden. Establishing personal foundations leave the royals open to criticism, he suggests, and vulnerable to ‘generous donors with dubious motives’. Instead, members of the Royal Family should ‘follow the wise example of Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne and serve as patrons of existing charities’.
Writing in the latest edition of his Palace Confidential newsletter, Eden takes aim at Harry and Meghan’s Archewell Foundation, which is under scrutiny after an £8.8million ‘plunge’ in donations last year – yet still paid a vast salary plus bonus to Executive Director James Holt.
‘Charity begins at home when it comes to their most loyal lieutenants,’ notes Eden. ‘James Holt, who previously worked for Prince William and Catherine as well as Harry and Meghan, was rewarded for sticking with the Sussexes with a pay packet of $207,405 (£165,800), plus bonus of $20,000. Holt, a friend of Omid Scobie who is executive director of Archewell, certainly worked hard for Harry and Meghan, appearing extensively on their tawdry Netflix ‘reality’ series in which Harry revealed intimate conversations with other members of the Royal Family and Meghan appeared to mock Queen Elizabeth with her exaggerated curtsy.’
The Sussexes are not the only royals to have founded their own charities, of course. Established by King Charles, The Prince’s Trust and Prince’s Foundation (now The King’s Foundation) have become two of the best-known in Britain. The Prince and Princess of Wales have established their own Royal Foundation, which includes the Princess’s Centre for Early Childhood. Prince William also runs the Earthshot Prize for environmental initiatives.
In the newsletter, Eden writes that ‘in one of those “coincidences” to which we have become accustomed, just a day after Kensington Palace broadcast a charming video of the Prince and Princess of Wales’s children helping their mother volunteer at a “baby bank” in Windsor, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex released a similarly slick video of their own.
‘Prince Harry and Meghan’s video was to highlight the work they have done during the past year for their Archewell Foundation, which published its 28-page annual report. ‘What they were less keen to report, however, was the fact that their foundation suffered an $11million (£8.8million) plunge in donations last year.’
Tax filings in the United States, where they live, show that Archewell received $2million last year, compared with $13million in 2021. The Sussexes maintain that this sort of drop-off would be normal after a successful first year, that there is no suggestion Archewell is insolvent and that the charity account has plenty of reserves.
Eden concludes: ‘For me, the disclosures highlight the dangers of members of the Royal Family having their own charitable foundations, which can leave them open to criticism and at the mercy of generous donors with dubious motives. It may not be so good for boosting royal egos but it can achieve more with far less potential for controversy.’
The thing is… um, I halfway agree with Richard Eden? Maureen might have some points, if only she would apply her half-witted opinions to every royal. The Royal Foundation is an exercise in ego, and Charles’s foundation is practically a criminal enterprise. Archewell is actually the exception to the rule – they’re not reinventing the wheel, Archewell is basically just a cash reserve which they parcel out to charities. Oh, and James Holt’s salary really upset all of Eden’s palace sources, didn’t it? There’s also no evidence that Holt is especially friendly with Omid Scobie either, that was just an unhinged jab.
This reminded me of the British media’s reaction to Meghan’s 40th birthday mentorship idea, where she invited people to give 40 minutes of mentorship to someone. Suddenly, royal experts were coming out of the woodwork to proclaim that “mentorship is bad, actually.” Now we’re at “charitable foundations are bad, actually,” just because the Sussexes are doing it.
Photos/screencaps courtesy of Archewell, WellChild and Cover Images.
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- 06 September 2022, North Rhine-Westphalia, Duesseldorf: Britain’s Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his wife Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive in front of City Hall. The prince and his wife are coming to Düsseldorf to promote the “Invictus Games” 2023, which Prince Harry helped to launch. These are Paralympic competitions for soldiers who have been injured in war. Photo: Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa Where: Duesseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany When: 06 Sep 2022 Credit: Rolf Vennenbernd/DPA/Cover Images **ONLY AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE UK AND USA**
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- 06 September 2022, North Rhine-Westphalia, Duesseldorf: Britain’s Prince Harry (3rd from right, Duke of Sussex) and his wife Meghan (3rd from left), Duchess of Sussex, arrive in front of City Hall and stand together with Alfred Marstaller, Brigadier General (l), Stephan Keller (CDU, 2nd from left,), Lord Mayor of the state capital Düsseldorf, Siemtje Möller Parliamentary State Secretary to the Federal Minister of Defense (2nd from right) and Markus Laubenthal, Lieutenant General. The prince and his wife are coming to Düsseldorf to promote the “Invictus Games” 2023, which Prince Harry helped to launch. These are Paralympic competitions for soldiers who have been injured in war. Photo: Rolf Vennenbernd/dpa Where: Duesseldorf, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany When: 06 Sep 2022 Credit: Rolf Vennenbernd/DPA/Cover Images **ONLY AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE UK AND USA**
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- Prince Harry And Meghan At 2023 Invictus Games Dusseldorf Event The Duke and Duchess of Sussex (centre) arrive at City Hall for the Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023 One Year to Go event. Featuring: Meghan Duchess of Sussex Where: Dusseldorf, Germany, Germany When: 06 Sep 2022 Credit: Joe Giddens/PA Images/INSTARimages.com/Cover Images **North America Rights Only**
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- Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex attends the press conference during the One Year to Go event, one year before Invictus Games Dusseldorf 2023, at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Dusseldorf, Germany Featuring: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex Where: Dusseldorf, Germany When: 06 Sep 2022 Credit: Dutch Press Photo/Cover Images **NOT AVAILABLE FOR PUBLICATION IN THE NETHERLANDS OR FRANCE**
Um, if they were using “generous donors with dubious motives”, wouldn’t they be swimming in funds? I think they mostly use their own money and didn’t see a need to add more since they have enough to operate and give where they wanted to. Their operating expenses and giving are transparent, so now let’s see that transparency from the royal foundations. Those are the problematic ones where people are already tax dodgers and aren’t held to account for public funds, etc. and accountability.
Maureen is really dialing up the stupid. Archewell is, almost certainly, a grant-giving (as opposed to fundraising) foundation—funding other projects, according to its endowment. We’ve never seen any fundraising effort or activity on its part. To the best of our knowledge, it is/has been entirely funded/endowed by the Sussexes. They fund it, as needed. There’s no “plunge”, there.
ETA: in fact, he contradicts his own thesis. If the foundation’s donations have taken a plunge, surely that’s a sign that the Sussexes are being choosy in whose money they accept?
That seems like a low salary for an ED, actually. That’s someone who wants to be working there.
I think it’s sour grapes from the UK. Based on their notoriously stingy history, I wager that no one working for the Prince’s and King’s foundations are getting paid that amount. Plus KP is mad at their “deflector” (Hoult) and wanted to put him down somehow.
Yeah, and that bonus is low as well-10% ish for an executive at that level of compensation is not strong. In corporate America, most folks at 200K base salary would have a 25%-30% bonus target, and if he’s based in California, 200K is just a basic executive salary. He’s there because he believes in the work.
Did James Holt relocate to SoCal for the job? If so, his salary, while good, would not be affording him a luxurious lifestyle in an expensive area.
And “Eden concludes: ‘For me, the disclosures highlight the dangers of members of the Royal Family having their own charitable foundations, which can leave them open to criticism and at the mercy of generous donors with dubious motives.” Remind me again which member of the royal family has accepted shopping bags full of cash from donors with dubious motives? LOL.
“the dangers of members of the Royal Family having their own charitable foundations”
Is Eden actually trying to say that no Windsor (ie Chuck, Will and future heirs and family) should have their own foundations? No Prince’s Trust, Earthshot, Wales foundation? No more money in Waitrose bags and gym duffels? Hmmmmm…..
They know mentioning the Sussexes (esp in headlines) sells, so is this really hidden criticism aimed at the Windsors in England by using the names of those in California and ensuring it’s read widely? Not that the batshyte crazy Sussex haters can read between the lines, but anyway, the message gets out.
“Is Eden actually trying to say that no Windsor (ie Chuck, Will and future heirs and family) should have their own foundations?”
@VIK, I definitely think so. They always project onto the Sussexes what they want to, but can’t, say about the Others.
And used those “historic preservation” donations to renovate his own house.
His whole argument is moot since the Sussexes aren’t working royals.
At least they’re referring to H&M as royals, lol. That’s a step.
And I’d like to see the financials of the other foundations, please. In fact, if you’re public servants, show me where every pound that comes in came from and every one that goes out went.
They aren’t working royals, they are private citizens why is he reporting on Archewell at all? If there was some sort of impropriety, (which there isn’t) it would be investigated in the U.S. The salary that they pay their employee shouldn’t be their concern. Harry being born into a family but out of the family business, means that decisions he makes as a private citizen are those of just that. Why does the media in another country who isn’t contributing funds or have any culpability if something is amiss care? Does he care about the actual money the Middleton’s have cost UK taxpayer’s? I will never understand their media landscape. Seung Min Kim and Jonathan Capehart aren’t writing about the Clooney or DiCaprio foundations. If you’re a royal “reporter”, report on the working royals
I am on the board of a local non profit, that also has regional offices in every state and a national office. Plus some offices internationally.
National directed every single regional office to lower our budget for the year, because they have already noticed people donating less / both less frequently (or not at all) or donating 5k instead of their usual 10k etc because of the economy.
My point is that in addition to what Kaiser pointed out, every single non profit is seeing less donations now compared to last year or five years ago etc. It is not reflective of the non profit itself, but the economy.
Exactly.
Exactly. Not just non-profits. Nearly all corporations this year had budget cuts compared to last year. Inflation and GOPs scare tactics of a recession (which never materialized) made many big companies very cautious in spending this year .
Donations are down across the board – at my son’s private school as well. People are worried about the economy, there are 2 very expensive wars happening.
James Holy is probably getting paid twice as much as he would have if he was still working for The Firm. Those salaries are notoriously low. That said, living in LA, he’s definitely not living a lavish lifestyle. He probably lives in a nice condo and drives a moderately priced car.
Yes, I’d imagine it’s better than if he was still working for the RF. I’d be very happy to have a nice condo and car in Cali.
If he doesn’t have a family $250k for a single person a year in LA is still good living. Maybe not Bel Air or Malibu single family home but still good living for 1 person. If a spouse or partner makes about the same salary, household income doubles , I know some couples who do clear $500k or over a year , then that can be a little bit more luxurious.
Even more so if one can take their LA salary and work remotely anywhere in the US.
Maybe instead of talking about Holt and Scobie’s relationship, Eden should re-examine that of charity man Jason Knauff and PW’s reprter friend Dan Wootton, and possibly how Christian Jones fits in with them.
Ok sure sure now foundations are bad because Harry’s is doing well WITHOUT him literally getting bags of cash from unscrupulous people like Chuckles.
While pontificating about loyal lieutenants, Eden neglects to mention the previous head of the Wales’ foundation was trusty sidekick Jason Knauf. I’m sure he made out well, considering the services he appeared to have been rendering over his years at KP. The current head is Amanda Berry, formerly CEO of BAFTA (of which Will is Royal Patron). No doubt she was offered an attractive pay package to sign on.
Maureen also forget to mention the year before weasel JK became the head of Royal Foundation, he double dipped salary. JK got paid for his KP job & also took money from WanK’s RF because TRF “didn’t have enough staff.” It’s in that year’s RF annual report.
Richard Eden had no problem with royals having their own foundations when he was falsely reporting that the Royal Foundation donated money to the Invictus Games a few years ago. The money belonged to the Endeavour Fund which was transferred to the Invictus Games when Harry left the Royal Foundation. The real issue here is he’s upset that Harry and Meghan released a video about their foundation’s work just hours after Kate released her video.
Eden is a hack auditioning to be the next Wootton. If he’s not going to criticize the foundations run by the tax payer funded royals, he’s not a serious person.
Imagine writing a whole dumb article about the sketchiness of royal foundations and never once mentioning the shady sheiks dropping off bags and suitcases full of cash with the king. Instead all the fire is directed at two non working royals living in America and carefully complying with American law. Imagine someone doing that! Or, alternatively, just read the Daily Mail.
If Eden wanted to do real reporting he would look into how much of the Sovereign Grant is used to support royal foundations. I would be shocked if an audit didn’t show William and Charles using the funding for their “official” duties to cover work with their foundations.
If Meghan and Harry too deep cleansing breaths and let them out slowly, there would be an op-Ed in a UK tabloid listing all the reasons why deep cleansing breaths were harming the environment and anyone who followed their lead would surely die or suffer from irrefutable physical damage and it would be all Harry and Meghan fault for taking a deep cleanings breath in the first place. Charles should take away their title for harming the British People
Right? Deep breaths are woke. How many more ways can Meghan emasculate Harry, our once studly Prince?
I think most of us agree that Harry is still studly. And he has become even more masculine as he shows his determination to protect his wife and children.
This is Celebitchy, and that was sarcasm. Read Dora’s comment, also sarcasm.
So he’s criticizing the non taxpayer funded royals for their nonprofit, but is just going to gloss over the other foundations? Prince’s/King’s Trust may be well regarded, but I’m old enough to remember when Charles was accepting bags of cash for his foundation and the press wrote an article about it and then moved on.
Yeah, let me know when Archewell starts taking bags of cash from shady sheikhs and then I’ll worry.
I’m just here for the photos of Meghan and Harry ❤️. I hope that everyone has a great day today!
More weasel words. Archewell isn’t “under scrutiny” – all they did was file their tax return. The scrutiny is coming from the tabloids.
Ahhhh poor Eden, he saw how much someone else was earning, screamed, shouted, stamped his feet and reached for his steam powered typewriter. Tell you what Mr Eden, Harry and Megan account for every penny of Archwell Money and publish FULL accounts, now go look into the carrier bags and suitcases full of cash, oh and the deads money that the dogsht king grabbed, and tell us where all that went. Now, go take a close forensic accounting of earthsht because there are a lot of dark corners there. And, until you have done that, SIT DOWN AND STFU, talk about deranged.
Now I have a feeling that something is going to come out later next year about earthsht. They have changed the structure and William has removed part of his responsibility, and we know he likes to be number 1, so what’s coming?
The Admin costs of setting up and running any foundation are generally pretty high.
So many celebs/actors start their own foundations.
I always wonder if it would be better if donations just went to existing foundations, would more of the money get to the people in need?
IDK.
I do know I am really fed up with the Matthew Perry Foundation that was set up quickly after his death. MP had a net worth of $80-$120M with $20M a year still coming in.
And his family started the foundation with an ASK donation button on the site immediately. None of MP money or estate given to the foundation.
Matthew had started a sober house and within a few years, closed it due to the cost of running it. Roughly $2-$5M a year.
Walk to walk or be quiet.
The family may not have access to MP’s assets yet. It is likely his estate is still in probate.
I read somewhere that Kate’s foundation has yet to hand out any grants but a ton of money is being spend on clothes and travel for her with nothing to show for it. Perhaps they’re trying to get ahead of that.
My dad has worked with our local interfaith charity for decades now, serving on the board a few times. He gets really heated by this recent trend for everyone (even children) starting their own foundations instead of working for or with organizations already doing the same work. It’s a huge amount of wasted effort and usually an attempt to wrangle control from the people in the field who know what they’re doing. One example, pushing to build a daycare for low income children, when the cost for what they want to do would cover five times the number of children if the charity were to pay for tuition in existing daycares, as they currently do.
That said, Archwell does seem to do what they do very well. Harry and Meghan have a variety of interests, so an umbrella foundation is a good way for them to work. The Prince’s Trust is from what I understand a good charity that’s done great work through the years. That William didn’t take over running it should be a major scandal. The Foundation Charles started as Prince of Wales appears to have been very grifty . Although I did see an episode of one of those historic houses of Scotland shows that featured the house the foundation bought and it did appear to be more of a charitable venture than it’s normally described as being. A training program to get locals trained in the hospitality business for instance.
When Dumfries House, it’s furnishings, and surrounding property were originally purchased, it was under the control of the Dumfries House Trust. The objectives were to preserve an important historical structure and a significant, intact Chippendale furniture collection, and to establish it as a focus of training, employment, and other community amenities in an economically depressed area. From what I’ve previously seen and read, in the years since the purchase was completed, the Dumfries project was making good progress toward conserving and expanding the property, setting up training programs, and starting income generating ventures (tourism, cafe, event venue). Charles had other charities around education and training besides the Prince’s Trust and Dumfries, and in 2018 he merged these programs with the Dumfries House property and programs into the Prince’s Foundation. And put skeevy Michael Fawcett in as head – so no surprise that ultimately grifting was going on alongside the beneficial programs they were operating. There’s also a cross connection I don’t completely understand with Charles’ other idea, to build a planned community called Knockroon on adjacent property. That’s been unsuccessful, and there’s investigation of questionable property deals around the failure of that operation.
Royal Foundations are a “bad idea” when they’re actually doing what they were meant to, not flail like Willy’s, the Wessex/Edinburghs, or some laundering op like Papa’s. Eden needs to take several seats.
Nothing to see here folks. Anytime one of the royal family’s toadies, like auntie Maureen start whining about the Sussex’s projects, it’s usually because the Sussexes are doing better than the remainders.
Maureen Eden: Police! Police! Stop that couple! They’re winning too much. Waaaa, waaaa!
Well, Maureen, why don’t you do some investigative journalism on WanK’s foundation? Why don’t you do a deep dive on how their ‘donations’ have helped. Why don’t you do a deep dive on the people who are running it, including the board members. Find out if there are any relationships there that could aid in any tomfoolery. Until you do that, you’re a joke.
I do agree with the comments above . HM are private citizens in the US(thousands of miles from the UK. Mind you we’re not even a commonwealth of the UK and kicked them out hundreds of years ago.) And HMs foundation is not even using any public funds. Are they scrutinizing any other foundations in the US? Nope.
Their obsession with HM is beyond sick and psychotic.
It’s like the obsession that they have to convince themselves that Americans also hate HM 🙄🙄
Btw.. are they Beyond Bored there’s nothing else going on in that country that’s at least half exciting lolZ..
Maureen says what, now?
Maureen is Richard Eden’s not-so-secret “nom-de-plume” on Twitter/X.
Nah, it’s about the heir being a dick, Eden. You brown-nosed ass.