Amidst the backdrop of the broadening coronavirus pandemic, Prince Harry and his wife Meghan Markle have confirmed their plans to launch a wide-ranging non-profit organisation named Archewell, reports on Tuesday said.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, who formally stepped down as senior members of the British royal family at the end of last month, told the Daily Telegraph newspaper they were establishing the organisation in the United States, where they have now made their home in Malibu.
The charitable organisation will include emotional support groups, a multimedia educational empire and a wellbeing website among other things, although full details are not fully known.
They also revealed the Greek word in the project, Arche – meaning source of action – was the inspiration behind the name of their son, Archie Mountbatten-Windsor.
The couple said they wanted “to do something of meaning, to do something that matters” and to that end the couple filed paperwork for their new venture in the U.S. last month, the Telegraph said.
They have delayed releasing full details about it because of the coronavirus pandemic and will make an announcement “when the time is right”, they told the paper.
Their proposals are for “a vast and ambitious array of projects” under the name Archewell to replace their previous “Sussex Royal” brand, it added.
In response to the Telegraph, the duke and duchess said they were focusing their efforts on the coronavirus pandemic but felt “compelled” to reveal details of the venture.
“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,” the couple said.
“Before SussexRoyal, came the idea of Arche – the Greek word meaning source of action. We connected to this concept for the charitable organisation 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.
“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.”
AFP contributed to this story