Meghan Markle and Prince Harry finally announced their new organization, and its name has a special meaning

On March 31st, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex officially took their big step back from the British royal family. And now, a week later, they’ve announced their next venture. Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s new organization is official, and it’s called—drumroll please—Archewell.

Sound familiar? That’s because Meghan and Harry’s son is named Archie. (Ahem, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.) But the 11-month-old wasn’t the sole influence on the new nonprofit’s title. Both names were taken from the Greek word “arche,” meaning “source of action.” Sounds like great inspiration for a kid’s name and for a charity.

“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,” Meghan and Harry told The Telegraph.

The couple confirmed the news to the U.K. publication after documents filed in connection to the organization became public. According to The Telegraph, the Duke and Duchess were not planning to announce the nonprofit yet because of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

In addition to the name, The Telegraph reported on what Archewell will potentially do—though not much has been confirmed. For instance, there may be a website “in the field of nutrition, general health, and mental health.” (The return of The Tig?!) There also may be magazines, books, podcasts, TV series, and more.

Meanwhile, The Guardian reports that while emotional support groups are mentioned in the documents, there are no plans for them, according to a source. Similarly, the couple has trademarked a number of items, including clothing and homeware, but it’s likely that this is to prevent other people from making those items under the Archewell name. The Guardian does report that Archewell is meant to promote various causes and to coordinate volunteer and community service projects, according to the filed documents. No surprise there.

Everything else will likely become clear once Meghan and Harry are ready. As they told The Telegraph, “We look forward to launching Archewell when the time is right.” For now, we’ll all have to get used to Meghan and Harry working under a name that isn’t “royal family.”

Lia Beck
Lia Beck is a writer living in Richmond, Virginia. In addition to Best Life, she has written for Refinery29, Bustle, Hello Giggles, InStyle, and more. Read more
Filed Under