Prince Harry has made the ‘devastating’ decision to resign from a charity he founded in honour of his late mother Diana. And just a few months ago, his wife Meghan had an awkward exchange with the woman at the heart of the bitter row engulfing the organisation
Prince Harry has found himself embroiled in a “shocking” row after sensationally resigning from his own charity. The Duke of Sussex made the “devastating” decision to leave Sentebale, an African children’s charity he founded to honour his late mother Diana, as relationships within the organisation “broke down beyond repair.”
A boardroom dispute boiled over when trustees expressed their concerns about the chairwoman of the charity’s board, Dr Sophie Chandauka, and requested her resignation. In turn, she allegedly sued the charity to remain in the voluntary position, resulting in a mass exodus. Harry has quit alongside his co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, in solidarity with the whole board of trustees. They include Mark Dyer, a lifelong friend of Harry’s and a former equerry to the King.
In a scathing joint statement, which got leaked on Tuesday night, both princes said: “Nearly 20 years ago, we founded Sentebale in honour of our mothers. Sentebale means ‘forget-me-not’ in Sesotho, the local language of Lesotho, and it’s what we’ve always promised for the young people we’ve served through this charity.
“Today is no different. With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as patrons of the organisation until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same. It is devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation.”
“These trustees acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down, while keeping the wellbeing of staff in mind. In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship. We thank all the trustees for their service over the years and are truly heartbroken they’ve had to follow through with this act.”
In response, Dr Chandauka appeared to criticise the duke for “going to the press” and “playing the victim card”. She said in her own statement: “Everything I do at Sentebale is in pursuit of the integrity of the organisation, its mission, and the young people we serve. My actions are guided by the principles of fairness and equitable treatment for all, regardless of social status or financial means. There are people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat people, and then play the victim card and use the very press they disdain to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct.”
She also claimed she had reported trustees to the Charity Commission and that the High Court had issued an emergency injunction to prevent her removal. She added: “Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir – and the coverup that ensued. I could be anyone. I just happen to be an educated woman who understands that the law will guide and protect me. I will say nothing further on this matter at this time.” The Charity Commission told The Mirror it has been “made aware of concerns”.
Rumours of internal issues at the charity have brewed for years, but Harry’s commitment to the project has always stayed firm. The charity, set up in 2006, supports children affected by HIV and AIDS and helps young people in poverty. Last October, Harry visited Lethoso for his first trip back to South Africa in five years. While there, he reunited with Prince Seeiso.
And at another Senteale event just a few months prior, Harry’s wife Meghan joined in a show of support. The couple attended an annual Sentable charity polo match in Miami, Florida, last April, where the duke captained the winning team. At the event, the couple packed on the PDA as they were snapped sharing a passionate kiss. But that day, the Duchess also found herself in a rather awkward moment with the charity’s under-fire chairwoman that raised eyebrows.
Footage from the match appeared to show Meghan asking Dr Chandauka not to pose next to Harry as he celebrated his win. The Duchess could be seen instructing people on stage after handing her husband a trophy. And Dr Chandauka, who stood on Harry’s right, was asked twice by Meghan to move to her left side away from her husband, as he kept his arm tightly around the Duchess.
Meghan awkwardly signalled for Dr Chandauka to move by repeatedly waving her hands towards the opposite side of the stage. As a result, others on stage scooched up to make enough space and the charity chairwoman had to crouch under the trophy to move into the spot Meghan asked her to be in. Dr Chandauka then said something to her that’s inaudible in the clip.
In response to Prince Harry’s leaked statement on Tuesday, Sentebale told The Mirror it had not received resignations from either of the royal patrons and said the “recalibration of the board is part of Sentebale’s ambitious transformation agenda”.
A spokesperson said: “We are pleased to confirm the restructuring of our Board on 25 March 2025 to introduce experts with the capabilities and networks to accelerate Sentebale’s transformation agenda as announced last year. In April 2024, Sentebale signalled its evolution from a development organisation focused on addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS on the lives of children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana, to one that is addressing issues of youth health, wealth and climate resilience in Southern Africa.”
