Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, is facing serious accusations from Sophie Chandauka, the chairwoman of Sentebale, the African charity he co-founded, as per The Associated Press.
Chandauka alleges that Prince Harry orchestrated a bullying and harassment campaign to force her removal from the organization following his abrupt resignation as a patron.
The accusations, delivered in a Sky News interview on Sunday, come after Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho jointly announced their departure as patrons of Sentebale on Tuesday, citing a breakdown in the relationship between board members and Chandauka. The princes expressed “heavy hearts” in their statement, supporting the trustees in their dispute with the chairwoman.
Chandauka claims her resignation was not voluntary, and that she reported Sentebale’s trustees to the Charity Commission in the UK and has filed papers in British court to prevent her dismissal. She previously alleged misconduct at the charity, suggesting she attempted to whistleblow on “abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir,” a term referring to the intersection of racism and misogyny directed at Black women.
“Harry’s resignation had caught her blindsided and was ‘an example of harassment and bullying at scale,’” Chandauka told Sky, adding that he interfered with her whistleblower complaint.
The chairwoman also highlighted the impact of Harry and Meghan’s departure from royal duties in January 2020, claiming a significant drop in donations. In an interview with the Financial Times, she labeled the “toxicity of its lead patron’s brand” as the biggest risk to the charity.
Sentebale, meaning “don’t forget me” in the Sesotho language, was founded nearly two decades ago to support young people affected by AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. It has since expanded its focus to encompass youth health, wealth, and climate resilience across southern Africa.
A source close to the charity’s patrons and trustees, who requested anonymity, refuted Chandauka’s claims, stating that Harry and Seeiso had sent her a resignation letter on March 10th, two weeks prior to their public announcement. The source alleged that the trustees and patrons were resolute in their decision to leave and anticipated Chandauka would react with a publicity campaign.
Chandauka also described incidents involving Harry and Meghan that contributed to the friction. She cited a near collapse of a Miami polo fundraiser last year after Harry requested to bring a Netflix camera crew to film for his series on the sport, causing the venue costs to skyrocket. While Harry ultimately secured a new venue through his connections, Chandauka also mentioned an awkward moment involving Meghan at the trophy presentation. A video clip circulating online appears to show Meghan gesturing for Chandauka to move further away from Harry during a photo opportunity.
Furthermore, Chandauka claims she rejected a request from Harry to issue a statement in support of Meghan, arguing that the charity “cannot be an extension of the Sussexes.”
