‘Couldn’t they have waited?!’: Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are criticised for unveiling details of their Archewell charitable foundation as news emerged Boris Johnson was battling coronavirus in intensive care

• Couple criticised over ‘terrible timing’ of Archewell foundation announcement
• It comes as Boris Johnson last night was taken to intensive care with coronavirus
• The couple say they were ‘compelled’ into announcing the plans at this time
• Full details of the foundation have been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic  

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been criticised for the ‘terrible timing’ of their announcement of plans to launch a new not-for-profit foundation.

The couple last night said they ‘look forward’ to getting started with the foundation, named Archewell, which will replace their Sussex Royal brand.

But the timing of the announcement, which came last night as Prime Minister Boris Johnson was confirmed to have been taken into intensive care with coronavirus, has been criticised by some as ‘inappropriate’. 

In a statement last night, the pair said they had been ‘compelled’ into making the announcement  in response to an article in the Telegraph, but that full details had been postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (pictured above) announced yesterday they will be launching a new foundation, named ‘Archewell’

Kathie Gyngell, the editor of The Conservative Woman, said on Twitter: ‘Couldn’t they have waited? Deeply inappropriate time.’ 

One Twitter user described the announcement as ‘terrible timing’, while another said:  ‘I don’t really think it was sensible timing to announce this while we’re in the midst of a pandemic.

‘It just makes them appear more detached from reality and the struggles that the everyday person is going through.’

Human rights lawyer and former managing director of Leeds United Football Club, David Haigh, also criticised the timing of the announcement.

He said in a Tweet: ‘Bad timing. The world is too busy for their vanity project… didn’t they get the memo?’

Actor Laurence Fox, added: ‘I definitely preferred SussexRoyal.’   

But others have defended the pair.

One twitter user said: ‘They’re starting a legacy connected to their son’s name. Excellent. Archewell is perfect and the meaning behind it is great.’

Another said: ‘I’m already in love with Archewell. It sounds better than Sussex Royal.’  

Another, Twitter user, who complimented the name, said: ‘Do not fear, Harry and Meghan are smart enough to know when they filed the trademark name this wouldn’t stay a secret.

‘While I am sure they would rather have had better timing, it’s an essential step to forming any organisation.’

The row comes after the Harry and Meghan confirmed the plans to Telegraph last night, confirming that they want to include their own charity as well as a website, as part of their new venture.

Harry and Meghan 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.

Further details about the organisation have been delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The couple said an announcement will be made ‘when the time is right’.

Their plans comes just one day after the Queen addressed the UK regarding coronavirus, of which there has been 51,608 confirmed cases in the UK and 5,373 deaths.

It also came the same night that Prime Minister Boris Johnson was taken into intensive care in a London hospital after suffering from coronavirus symptoms for 10 days.

A Downing Street spokesperson last night said Mr Johnson had been moved on the advice of his medical team and was receiving ‘excellent care’. 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson was last night taken into intensive care in a London hospital after suffering from coronavirus symptoms for 10 days

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, baby Archie is pictured above with his mother and father in South Africa in September last year

Their announcement comes just one day after the Queen addressed the UK regarding the coronavirus pandemic. The couple were made to change their Sussex Royal brand after the Queen (above) and senior officials were said to have ordered them to drop the use of the word ‘royal’

The Telegraph has previously reported that paperwork regarding their new brand was filed in the United States last month and the couple are considering how to create their own charity and volunteering services.

Plans also include a wide-ranging website and sharing ‘education and training materials’ via films, podcasts and books, according to the newspaper.

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 new foundation will look at the things the couple value most such as wellness. Meghan Markle is seen doing yoga

The couple previously attended events supporting mental health charities. They are seen above in 2018 at an event in Australia

The couple are pictured above tending to an Elephant, they have been vocal about their passion for animal rights 

‘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.’

The couple moved to Los Angeles with baby Archie to start their new life after they were forced to choose between financial independence or remaining as working members of the royal family.

But it has since been revealed that Meghan has not seen her mother Doria Ragland since the family moved, as they have been in isolation at their new home. 

Last month sources claimed the couple plan to rent a sprawling $20million mansion in the area to get a feel for SoCal life post Megxit 

Meghan Markle has not seen her mother Doria (pictured together in 2018) since moving back to Los Angeles despite living just 10 miles apart

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are continuing to isolate themselves at a secluded mansion in a private gated community with baby Archie after moving from Vancouver Island, Canada, earlier this month. 

They have so far been unable to visit Meghan’s 63-year-old mother as a result of the coronavirus epidemic. 

A source told the Sun on Sunday: ‘Meghan is absolutely heartbroken – after all, one of the main reasons she decided to live in LA was to be near her mum.

‘Because of her age, Doria obviously has to be careful and Meghan and Harry are sticking rigidly to all formal guidelines when it comes to coronavirus.

‘They’ve been WhatsApping and FaceTiming almost daily but obviously it’s not the same.’

The huge eight-bedroom, 10-bathroom property, costs a hefty $15,950 a night, but sources told DailyMailTV the couple is keen to sample Malibu before laying down any long term roots 

The source went on to say that Meghan, 38, will now be using much of her free time to focus on her philanthropic causes after she and Harry, 35, officially stepped down as senior working royals earlier this week. 

It is thought that the couple are continuing to look for their forever home in the affluent area of Malibu. 

The couple had previously been made to change their Sussex Royal brand after the Queen and senior officials were said to have ordered them to drop the use of the word ‘royal’.

Last week, they bowed out of the royal family with a final post on their official Sussex Royal Instagram account, which will now remain inactive along with their website.

The couple have delayed announcing a new Instagram handle and brand, with a spokeswoman saying they wanted the focus to remain on the global response to the coronavirus pandemic.

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