Prince Harry has revealed he is sensationally resigning as patron of Sentebale – a charity he set up in his late mother Princess Diana’s memory – and one royal expert says there is a precious reason why the move will be particularly crushing for him
Prince Harry will be ‘crushed’ about quitting a charity he founded in a bitter row – but it won’t be the last of his philanthropic efforts in Africa, an expert has claimed. Amid a bitter boardroom battle, Harry revealed he has resigned as a patron of Sentebale, a charity in Africa he helped to set up in honour of his late mother Diana, Princess of Wales.
Harry founded the charity Sentebale in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help young people and children in southern Africa, particularly those living with HIV and Aids. And after his bombshell statement, the chairwoman of the charity appeared to criticise Harry for “playing the victim card”. She also alleged there had been “poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir”.
In a joint statement with Prince Seeiso, Harry spoke of his “heavy heart”, saying he was “in shock” and “truly heartbroken” to be standing down as he backed the departing trustees, who had also left the charity in a dispute.
But royal biographer Ingrid Seward doesn’t believe this means Harry’s charity work in Africa will be over – and it is down to one important reason. The editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine told the Mirror: “Harry and his friend and joint founder of the charity Prince Seeiso of Lesotho set up Sentebale in 2006 in memory of their late mothers. The romantic name means Forget Me Not in the local language. It has been close to Harry’s heart for 20 years.
“Every polo match and charity venture, Harry attended – most recently in New York in December last year, raised funds for Sentable. No wonder he is devastated. He took the orphaned Sentable children living with Aids and multiple disabilities to his heart. Literally. He cuddled and loved them played football with them and hugged them.
“He took his brother Prince William to Lesotho to see some of the orphans in 2010 when they were still close. Their friend and childhood mentor Mark Dyer, former equerry to their father, was on the board of Trustees. Dubbed a ‘surrogate father’ to Harry, he helped him set up the charity which became so close to his heart.
“When he set Sentable up he frequently spoke of how proud Diana would have been of him. How her memory was very much part of his thinking to help the little children born with Aids. It is particularly crushing for him as it was done in her memory. He will be a sad and angry man today. But this will not be the last we hear of his African philanthropy. Diana’s memory is too precious for Harry to ever give up.”
Harry spent two months in the kingdom of Lesotho during his gap year when he was 19 in 2004, which inspired him to establish the charity two years later, which now also works in Botswana. He came face-to-face with Aids orphans, met other traumatised young people and visited herd boys living a harsh existence looking after cattle in remote mountain areas.
The duke visited Lesotho and the prince as recently as last October, where he talked to a group of young people around a campfire about the “massive difference” Sentebale was making. The Charity Commission said it was “aware of concerns about the governance” of Sentebale. “We are assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps,” the commission said in a statement.
