Prince Harry and Meghan to revamp Archewell charitable arm

LONDON, Dec ‌19 (Reuters) - Britain's Prince Harry and his wife Meghan are to ‍revamp their ‌charitable organisation with the aim of expanding the royal couple's global ⁠philanthropic work, their spokesperson said on ‌Friday.

Shortly after leaving their official duties and moving to the United States in 2020, the couple, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, set up the Archewell ⁠Foundation, the name being a nod to their son Archie.

It was one of the main ​steps they took to creating new lives and ‌careers in California following their acrimonious ⁠exit from the traditional world of the British royals.

Under the new change, their foundation will become Archewell Philanthropies, transitioning to a fiscal ​sponsor model to streamline its administrative structure and give it greater flexibility, the couple's spokesperson said in a statement.

It will broaden the family's "meaningful reach and maximum impact, grounded in the same values, partnerships, and their ​commitment ‍to show up and ​do good", the spokesperson added.

Since its creation, their foundation has worked on projects such as tackling the harmful effects of social media, while in September, it donated $500,000 to causes to help children in Gaza and Ukraine.

While their charitable work echoes their previous royal roles, critics have accused the ⁠couple of trading off the family brand for commercial ventures.

In August, the couple's media company, Archewell Productions, announced ​it had agreed "a multi-year, first-look deal" for its TV and film projects with Netflix.

The couple have already produced a number of projects for the streaming service including a documentary about their ‌relationship and problems with the royal family, while recently it has broadcast Meghan's lifestyle show "With Love, Meghan".

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by William James)