MEGHAN Markle and Prince Harry’s Sussex Royal foundation did not breach charity law, a review has found.
The Charity Commission concluded the transfer of funds to the Duke of Sussex’s Travalyst organisation was in line with the rules – with the couple saying this “confirmed what we knew from the start”.
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Meghan and Harry shared a statement via their friend Omid Scobie, who penned Megxit biography Finding Freedom.
It read: “We are pleased that the Charity Commission has confirmed what we knew from the start: that MWX Foundation, formerly Sussex Royal, complied fully with UK charity law in its handling and transferring of funds and grants.
“Today’s update provides complete closure to this review and ultimately underscores both the legitimacy of the former charity and the baselessness of the claims against it.”
The regulator found that the transfer of funds to MWX – which was formerly Sussex Royal: The Foundation – was in line with the governing document of the Royal Foundation and allowed under charity law.
It also found that the transfer of funds by MWX to not-for-profit sustainable travel organisation Travalyst was lawful.
The Commission further concluded that Travalyst could receive charitable funds for the promotion of sustainable travel only, which is a charitable activity in law, and there was no evidence to suggest that any conflicts of interest between MWX and Travalyst were managed inappropriately.
The charity was investigated after Republic, which campaigns for an elected head of state, reported the Sussexes and the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge’s foundations to the Commission for alleged “inappropriate use of charitable funds, conflicts of interest and lack of independence”.
Republic has issued a lengthy apology on its website.
It says that it “falsely claimed” the transfer of funds was improper and likely to be unlawful, and that it failed to contact the Royal Foundation or Sussex Royal before going to the Commission and the media.
The pressure group said: “If we had contacted the organisations directly, we accept we would have realised quickly that there was nothing improper in their operations.
“The Charity Commission has now concluded its review and found that all activities of the charities were lawful and proper.
“We apologise unreservedly to the charities and personally to the Duke of Sussex for our actions and the public damage that has been caused as a result of widely publicised untrue claims.”
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex founded their charitable organisation after they decided to break away from The Royal Foundation, which they ran with William and Kate.
It was shut down last July following the couple’s move to America.
Both Harry and William faced a probe into the alleged misuse of nearly £300,000 of charity money, including a large sum given to the Sussexes’ former UK charity.
William and Kate’s Royal Foundation made two grants totalling nearly £290,000 to Harry and Meghan’s non-profit organisation Sussex Royal last year.
Later, £145,000 of this was paid to Travalyst, a private company in which Harry owns 75 per cent of the shares.
When Sussex Royal had to close due to Harry and Meghan giving up royal duties, all its funds were transferred to Travalyst.
Graham Smith, of the anti-monarchist group Republic, demanded the official probe and said at the time: “The main objective of the grants appears to be supporting a patron’s brother.
“The Royal Foundation has lost almost £300,000 to Prince Harry’s pet projects.
“Harry’s own charity is now closing and he appears to be taking the charity’s money with him. I can’t see how that isn’t a breach of charity law.”
Prince Harry hit back at the “deeply offensive” allegations and strongly denied the claims.
