Harry and Meghan to launch awards honouring excellence in charity, education and more

The couple will award the gongs through their Archewell Foundation, which inspired the name of their son, Archie

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have filed court documents in the US to launch their own awards through their Archewell Foundation, recognising excellence across a number of fields. AFP

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are set to launch their own awards to recognise the achievements of charities, companies and people they feel have excelled in the areas they support.

In court documents seen by The Sun, the fields in which they are seeking to reward include "charitable service, education, science, literature, racial justice, gender equity, environmental stewardship, youth empowerment, health and mental health."

Meghan, 39, and Prince Harry, 36, are vocal proponents for speaking out about mental health issues, and the duchess recently wrote an opinion piece in The New York Times about the effects her recent miscarriage had on their mental wellbeing.

Awards part of their Archewell Foundation

The awards will be given through the couple's Archewell Foundation, which they revealed in October this year, and which also inspired the name of their 19-month-old son, Archie.

“Before SussexRoyal came the idea of ‘arche’ — the Greek word meaning ‘source of action’,” the pair said in a statement about what their foundation would stand for.

“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.”

Charity work during the pandemic

The couple, who reside in Santa Barbara, California, have been spotted out and about in Los Angeles, helping various charities during the pandemic.

As well as being seen delivering free food to low-income workers and those in need in Los Angeles, in August, the couple helped out with the non-profit Baby2Baby charity which helps children and families living in poverty.

Wearing masks and maintaining social distance, they handed out school supplies as well as essentials such as nappies, wipes and clothes.

The gongs that will be awarded through the Archewell Foundation are sure to reflect the core causes the duke and duchess have been championing during their time as senior royals and after stepping down from the roles.

They include environmental issues, female empowerment, global education and wildlife preservation and conservation.

“For me, it’s about putting the ‘dos’ behind the ‘says’,” said Prince Harry of his personal approach to his work, last week, as he delivered a conservation speech as president of a network of African national parks.