Archewell
The post-royal institution: foundation, productions, audio.
The founding
In April 2020, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex announced Archewell — named for the Greek word arche (source of action) and for their son Archie. The organization comprises the nonprofit Archewell Foundation and two for-profit media labels, Archewell Productions and Archewell Audio.
The name replaced the retired “Sussex Royal” brand; under the January 2020 agreement the couple could not use the word “Royal” in their ventures.
The foundation
The Archewell Foundation is a U.S. 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Its stated focus areas are community building, mental health, and responsible technology. U.S. tax-exempt status was granted in 2021, per reporting. Its published initiatives have included:
- The Welcome Project — community welcome centers supporting resettled women.
- 40x40 (August 2021) — Markle’s 40th-birthday mentorship initiative for women re-entering the workforce.
- The Parents Network — support for families affected by online harms, discussed in the couple’s 2024 CBS interview.
The foundation’s IRS Form 990 filings are public records; this site treats claims about its finances as verifiable only insofar as they trace to those filings or the organization’s own published reports.
Archewell Productions (Netflix)
In September 2020 the couple announced a multi-year partnership with Netflix. Reported values (around $100 million) were never confirmed by either party. Output under the deal has included the docuseries Harry & Meghan (2022), Live to Lead (2022), Heart of Invictus (2023), and With Love, Meghan (2025). See Podcasts & Netflix.
Archewell Audio (Spotify)
In December 2020 the couple announced a podcast partnership with Spotify under the Archewell Audio label, beginning with a holiday special. The output was twelve episodes of Archetypes (2022). In June 2023 the parties announced they had “mutually agreed to part ways.” Reported deal values were never confirmed. See Podcasts & Netflix.
Assessment
Archewell is best understood as the couple’s post-royal institutional form: a foundation doing grant-funded charitable work and two media labels producing commercial content. The organization’s own announcements and filings are the evidence base; press figures for deal values and audience sizes are flagged wherever they appear on this site as reported-not-confirmed.
Source notes
- Founding (April 2020), name origin: the couple’s announcement.
- Foundation focus areas and initiatives: archewell.com announcements; 40x40 (Aug 2021); Parents Network (2024 CBS interview).
- Netflix (Sept 2020), Spotify (Dec 2020–June 2023): company announcements; joint “mutually agreed to part ways” statement (June 2023).
- Tax status (2021): reporting on the IRS determination; filings are public records.