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Prince Harry has quit as patron of his charity Sentebale after a row between the chair of its board and the trustees.
Harry has stepped down alongside his co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and Sentebale’s board of trustees.
The relationship between the chair Dr Sophie Chandauka, and the trustees ‘broke down beyond repair’, it is understood.
She has reported the charity to the UK Charity Commission and sued them after trustees questioned whether she was best placed to be chair, The Times reports.
Dr Chandauka says she has ‘blown the whistle’ about ‘abuse of power’ and ‘harassment’, and said her work was ‘in pursuit of the integrity of the organisation’.
Why has Prince Harry resigned from the charity?
The princes said in a joint statement: ‘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.’
The statement adds that the princes would be ‘sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about’.
The former trustees, Timothy Boucher, Mark Dyer, Audrey Kgosidintsi, Dr Kelello Lerotholi and Damian West, said in their statement that the decision is ‘nothing short of devastating’ for all of them.
They added in the statement: ‘This was not a choice willingly made, but rather something we felt forced into in order to look after the charity.’
Who is Dr Sophie Chandauka and why has she sued the charity?
Dr Sophie Chandauka is the Chair of Sentebale and is refusing to step down from the role.
Dr Chandauka said in her statement: ‘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 added this was 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’.
Dr Sophie Chandauka’s statement in full
‘I chose to join Sentebale first and foremost as a proud African who understands that, in the spirit of ubuntu: to whom much is given, much is expected. 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.
‘Discerning readers will ask themselves: why would the Chair of the Board report her own Trustees to the Charity Commission? Why would the High Court of England and Wales accept her application to hear the matter at all if the case had no merit?
‘Well, because 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. I have one job. I must focus on fundraising for the very important work of the young people who inspire the incredible team at Sentebale who make sacrifices daily at a time when geopolitics is severely impacting funding for development work in Africa.
‘For me, this is not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account. I am an African who has had the privilege of a worldclass education and career. I will not be intimidated. I must stand for something. I stand for those other women who do not have the ways and means.
‘I am indebted to those who have stood by me and picked up my urgent call for help so that we can continue the mission at Sentebale. I will continue to faithfully perform my role as Chair of the Board, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with others who are interested in issues of health, wealth and climate resilience for young people in Africa.’
What is the Sentebale charity?
Sentebale was founded by Harry in 2006 and aimed to address the impact HIV and Aids has on young people living in Botswana and Lesotho.
Harry set it up with Prince Seeiso, whose mother died in 2003, after he visited Lesotho during his gap year.
The geographical focus of the charity centres on Lesotho and Botswana and part of the row focusses around a decision to focus fundraising largely in Africa.
What have royal experts said?
Royal expert Richard Fitzwilliam told Metro that Prince Harry will be taking this news personally because of his deep affinity to Africa.
He said: ‘Harry is deeply committed to Sentebale so I was shocked to hear the news this morning.
‘It is significant to him because he has worked to lift the stigma surrounding HIV and Aids in some of the poorest countries in Africa.
‘The charity is also close to his heart because it was founded in his mother’s Diana’s memory.
‘His involvement in the charity and with Africa is profound so he will be feeling this loss deeply.
‘It certainly seems like there could be a lengthy court battle ahead and more details could potentially emerge but only time will tell.
‘In terms of how it will impact Harry’s public image, that depends on what is yet to come.’
What’s next for the charity?
A spokesman for Sentebale 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.
‘Our highly successful Return to Southern Africa campaign with prospective international funders in October 2024 demonstrated Sentebale’s potential in these domains.’
The Charity Commission said in a statement to Metro: ‘We can confirm that we are aware of concerns about the governance of Sentebale.
‘We are assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps.’
Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.
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