Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been hit with some serious backlash this week after they unveiled the name of their new charity while the world is struggling with the horrific coronavirus pandemic.
Fox News reported that Harry and Meghan revealed that their new charity will be named Archwell the very same day that it was announced that the United Kingdom’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson was admitted to the intensive care unit after he contracted coronavirus. This led many to accuse Harry and Meghan of being insensitive for not pushing back the announcement about their charity.
Those who support the couple, however, have pointed out that they only announced the charity name after the The Telegraph came upon documents the ex-royals filed to launch the foundation. Some reports state that the couple had not planned to announce the charity name until a later date, but the press uncovering these documents prompted them to release a statement earlier than they had intended.
Harry and Meghan mentioned COVID-19 in their announcement of their charity, which will run emotional support groups as well as a multi-media educational empire. The couple is even reportedly planning to launch a wellbeing website sometime in the near future.
“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’s statement read. “We connected to this concept for the charitable organization 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.”
Harry and Meghan went on to explain why they had chosen the name Archewell, admitting it was named in part after their 11 month-old son Archie.
“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,” they said. “We look forward to launching Archewell when the time is right.”
Though they have said that they will not officially launch the charity during the pandemic, backlash against Harry and Meghan was swift from social media users who felt the timing of the announcement was all wrong:
Does she care? On the night, the #British #PM is in #ICU, #MeghanMarkle announces the name of her charity – ‘#Archwell‘. Wow! #Megxit sufferers can go to sleep & look forward to #ArchieDay. Thank you very much, #Meghan! Where’s the #getlost button? #SussexRoyal #DuchessofSussex pic.twitter.com/Mlh9w4HAxN
— Dr. Alia Shah (@aliya_Hshah) April 7, 2020
PM Boris Johnson is in ICU. UK has över 5k deaths and is in lockdown.
Meghan & Harry: Let’s make this about us, again.#archwell https://t.co/7EMxgVkhYb— Louise💅Lofquist™ (@LouiseSweUk) April 7, 2020
#archewell #archwell whatever!!! How utterly hypocritical using their sons name when they moan and groan about privacy,l. We the public are just fed up with these two. #PrinceHarry #MeghanMarkle . Go away you our fakes
— Jayne Sloan (@JayneSloan20) April 7, 2020
Others, however, were more supportive of Harry and Meghan:
So, apparently it’s going to be the ‘Archwell Foundation’! Whatever it’s going to be called…it’s going to be IMPRESSIVE!🤩💸💰🙏Do they have a P.O. box so I can start sending my money?? 💌🍌#HarryandMeghan #Megxit #RoyalFamily #DuchessOfWantsYourMoney pic.twitter.com/qawVcPnJpn
— kylieer (@kylieer) April 7, 2020
The foundation is a charitable endeavor! Archwell will help people!You don’t have to support; but you can’t tell them not to help those in need. Being hateful during a pandemic, why?
— 👸🏽 Lanyiadr 💗💚✨💅🏽 (@Lanyiadr) April 7, 2020
Harry and Meghan officially ceased to be senior members of the British royal family on April 1, months after they announced their decision to step down in favor of moving to North America, where they are now looking for homes in Los Angeles, California. It remains to be seen what their focus will be in the months and years to come, but their charity announcement indicates that philanthropy will be something that Harry and Meghan will put their efforts in going forward.
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