Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have quietly auctioned exclusive access to themselves, offering a rare opportunity for high-profile donors to dine with the Sussexes—for a reported $100,000 (£75,000) per plate. The auction is being held via CharityBuzz, a platform known for connecting celebrities with charitable fundraising initiatives, to benefit their nonprofit Archewell Foundation.
Archewell, founded in 2020, has long relied on anonymous donations to fund its philanthropic efforts. Last year alone, the foundation gave away over £1 million to a range of charitable causes. By partnering with CharityBuzz, Harry and Meghan are expanding their fundraising efforts while giving donors a unique chance to interact personally with the couple.
A spokesman for Archewell confirmed the partnership, stating, “We have partnered with numerous fundraising partners over the years, and CharityBuzz has been one of them.”
MailOnline cited a source as addding that the auction was initially tied to a fundraising dinner held on World Mental Health Day.
Since its launch 20 years ago, CharityBuzz has raised approximately $650 million (£485 million) for charities and has hosted high-profile events featuring stars such as George Clooney, Beyoncé, and Sir Paul McCartney. Sources indicate that access to Harry and Meghan is being offered privately to major donors, rather than advertised publicly on the platform’s website. “People will pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to have dinner with them,” a source explained.
While paying for personal access to a working member of the Royal Family is traditionally frowned upon, the Sussexes are no longer official royals following their “Megxit” departure. This allows them to engage in fundraising events such as this without breaching royal protocols.
Other CharityBuzz offerings currently include a $10,000 (£7,500) dinner with Better Call Saul actor Bob Odenkirk and $50,000 (£37,000) platinum tickets to attend the Grammy Awards.
Meanwhile, Archewell is reportedly undergoing internal restructuring. The foundation’s spokesman said, “Yes, we are making some Archewell changes, and we’ll be sharing exciting developments regarding how we will deliver our philanthropic work moving forward, when we choose to. We look forward to communicating more in due course.”