Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have quietly auctioned access to an ultra-exclusive private dinner with themselves for as much as $100,000 per seat, a move that has sparked criticism in royal and public-relations circles even as their charitable organization undergoes a strategic rebrand.
The fundraising arrangement, facilitated through luxury auction platform CharityBuzz, was not publicly promoted on the couple's official channels, according to reports, and appears to have been offered discreetly to high-net-worth donors. The proceeds are expected to support initiatives linked to World Mental Health Day through the Archewell organization, founded by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex after stepping back from royal duties in 2020.
A spokesperson for Archewell confirmed the partnership, stating: "We have partnered with numerous fundraising partners over the years and CharityBuzz has been one of them." The spokesperson did not disclose how many seats were offered, the location of the dinner, or the total sum raised.
The reported price-around $100,000 per guest, or approximately £75,000-has drawn sharp reactions, particularly in the United Kingdom, where critics questioned both the optics and the value proposition of selling personal access to former working royals.
Royal correspondent Rupert Bell criticized the initiative, saying: "It's an unseemly amount of money to probably be told a bunch of word salad if they're giving a speech. But if that's what they're getting away with, fair play. But it does seem a ridiculous amount of money to hear two people whose PR in recent weeks and months has been pretty shocking."
Social media reaction was swift and often caustic. One user wrote on X: "I'd rather watch paint dry," while another joked: "I hope she's not doing the catering as well." A third comment read: "They'd have to pay me that much to attend," followed by another adding: "Might as well sell their souls at this point."
The fundraising effort comes as the couple announced that the Archewell Foundation will be renamed Archewell Philanthropies, five years after its launch. A spokeswoman for Harry and Meghan framed the change as an expansion rather than a reset, saying: "This next chapter allows Prince Harry and Meghan, Duke and Duchess of Sussex, to broaden their global philanthropic efforts as a family, with meaningful reach and maximum impact, grounded in the same values, partnerships, and their commitment to show up and do good."
Public-relations experts described the rebrand as a calculated move to reposition the organization amid ongoing scrutiny of the couple's commercial and charitable ventures. Mayah Riaz, a publicist who works with high-profile clients, said: "From a branding perspective, this is a smart and I'd say quite deliberate evolution rather than a reinvention."
Riaz added: "Moving from 'Foundation' to 'Philanthropies' signals scale, maturity and longevity. In branding terms, it's a way of future proofing the name as their work expands beyond individual projects." She further noted: "I also think there is a reputational message here. 'Philanthropies' feels more global, more institutional and less personal."
According to one source cited in the Daily Mail, demand for such access remains strong despite public criticism. "People will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to have dinner with them," the source said, underscoring the couple's continued ability to monetize personal proximity even as their public image remains polarizing.
Neither Harry, 41, nor Meghan, 44, has commented directly on the auction, and Archewell declined to say whether similar fundraising dinners will be offered in the future.
