LONDON — The chair of Sentebale, a charity co-founded by Prince Harry, has accused him of leading a campaign of bullying and harassment to remove her from her position, following his unexpected resignation.
Sophie Chandauka, chair of the charity Sentebale, spoke out against Prince Harry in an interview, where she criticized the prince for allowing his Netflix commitments to disrupt an organized fundraiser. She also highlighted tensions stemming from an issue involving Meghan, Duchess of Sussex.
The Duke of Sussex announced his departure from Sentebale as a patron, attributing his decision to an irreparable breakdown in relations between board members and Chandauka. He and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho expressed their disappointment and supported the charity’s trustees in their conflict with Chandauka.
“It’s unfortunate that the relationship between the trustees and the chair failed irretrievably, causing an unsustainable situation,” Harry and Seeiso stated. “Moreover, she pursued legal action to retain this voluntary role, proving the extent of the damaged relationship.”
Chandauka responded by reporting Sentebale trustees to the Charity Commission in the U.K. and filed legal actions in Britain to challenge her dismissal. She accused the charity of misconduct, although she did not provide specific details or name individuals in her statement. She claimed she aimed to reveal issues of “abuse of power, bullying, harassment,” and particularly flagged “misogynoir,” which signifies racism and sexism towards Black women.
In her interview, Chandauka claimed Harry’s resignation was a surprise and exemplified large-scale bullying and harassment. She accused him of hindering her whistleblower complaint. “There’s a cover-up and the prince is involved,” she continued.
She noted a decline in donations after Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties and relocated to California. Sentebale, an organization named after a term meaning “don’t forget me” in the local language, originally supported youth impacted by AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. It now aims to address broader issues of youth health, wealth, and climate resilience in Southern Africa.
Chandauka elaborated to the Financial Times that the main threat to the charity was linked to the negative perception of its chief patron’s reputation.
A source familiar with the charity’s handling, who spoke anonymously due to on-going Charity Commission inquiries, disputed Chandauka’s narration. According to this source, Harry and Seeiso had privately communicated their resignation to her well ahead of making it public, predicting potential publicity consequences after they left.
In her interview, Chandauka recounted that a polo fundraiser in Miami nearly collapsed when Harry wanted to bring a camera crew for a Netflix documentary, which escalated venue costs but was eventually resolved through Harry’s connections.
During this event, Meghan’s spontaneous appearance caused discomfort during a trophy presentation. A video went viral showcasing a moment when Chandauka attempted to join Harry for a photograph. Meghan seemingly gestured for Chandauka to step aside, leading her to awkwardly maneuver beneath the trophy to be included.
“There was considerable media attention on Meghan’s presence and her actions on stage, including her conduct towards me,” Chandauka remarked.
She stated she declined Harry’s request to issue supportive remarks about Meghan, explaining, “We cannot act as an accessory to the Sussexes.”