The left-leaning Governor of California Gavin Newsom waded into a recent row defending Prince Harry and Meghan Markle following claims their Archewell charity was found delinquent.

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Harry and Meghan in Lagos, Nigeria. (Image: Getty)Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have been defended by Gavin Newsom following a row over claims their Archewell charity had been found “delinquent”.

The left-wing California Governor was speaking at an event in the Bay Area touting billions in investment in mental health treatment when he went off on a tangent about the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

He called their charity work “extraordinary” before saying: “I just want folks to know that not only are they in compliance, it was a technical paperwork issue that was wildly overhyped.”

It comes after a letter from the State of California Department of Justice sent on 3 May, reportedly gave a “delinquency notice” to the Archewell Foundation, warning of fines or suspension for “failing to submit required annual report(s) and/or renewal fees”.

But the notice was reversed on Tuesday, with California’s DoJ confirming the foundation is “current and in good standing”.

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California Governor Gavin Newsom praised the royal couple’s ‘extraordinary’ charity work. (Image: Getty)

The issue arose from a $200 dollar renewal fee payment which California authorities said they had not received, according to reports.

On Monday, an insider told the Express that the paperwork plus a cheque had been sent. They said: “For whatever reason, it has not been cashed.

“As soon as the foundation learnt of the problem, they immediately issued another cheque. Harry and Meghan’s team hope this will quickly resolve the issue.”

A spokesperson for the Archewell Foundation said on Tuesday: “We have diligently investigated the situation and can confirm that the Archewell Foundation remains fully compliant and in good standing.

“Due payments were made promptly and in accordance with the IRS’s processes and procedures. Furthermore, all necessary paperwork had been filed by the foundation without error or wrongdoing.”

The Sussexes founded Archewell in March 2020 after stepping down as senior working royals.

In the four years since its inception, the Archewell Foundation has expanded to include not-for-profit charitable causes and for-profit ventures including Archewell Audio and Archewell Productions.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex recently returned to the US after a 72-hour visit to Nigeria, which has been referred to as a “mini royal tour”, to promote the Invictus Games.