Chair of Sentebale Accuses Prince Harry of Orchestrating Bullying Campaign Amid Resignation

The chairperson of an African charity, co-founded by Prince Harry, has accused him of leading a campaign of bullying and harassment to force her out. Sophie Chandauka, chair of Sentebale, criticised Harry on Sky News. She detailed how his Netflix deal disrupted a fundraiser and how an incident with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, caused tension.

Charity's Internal Struggles

Prince Harry resigned as a patron of Sentebale, citing a breakdown in relations between board members and Chandauka. He and co-founder Prince Seeiso expressed their resignation "with heavy hearts," supporting the trustees in their dispute with Chandauka. They stated, "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."

Chandauka reported Sentebale's trustees to the UK's Charity Commission and filed court papers to prevent her removal. She alleged misconduct at the charity without naming anyone or providing details. Her statement mentioned attempts to expose "abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir," referring to racism and misogyny against Black women.

Impact on Charity's Operations

Chandauka claimed Harry's resignation was unexpected and exemplified large-scale harassment and bullying. She accused him of interfering with her whistleblower complaint. "So it's a cover-up, and the prince is involved," she said. Chandauka noted a decline in donors after Harry and Meghan left royal duties in January 2020 and moved to California.

The charity was founded to support youths affected by AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. It now focuses on youth health, wealth, and climate resilience in southern Africa. Chandauka told the Financial Times that the main threat to the charity was "the toxicity of its lead patrons' brand."

Dispute Over Fundraising Event

A person close to the charity's patrons and trustees disputed Chandauka's claims. This individual stated that Harry and Seeiso sent a resignation letter to Chandauka on March 10, two weeks before making it public. The trustees and patrons were firm in their decision to leave, anticipating Chandauka would create publicity after their departure.

In a Sky interview, Chandauka described how a Miami polo fundraiser nearly collapsed when Harry wanted to bring a camera crew filming him for a Netflix series on polo. The venue cost increased when it became commercialised, but Harry arranged another host through his connections.

Awkward Moments at Public Events

Meghan's surprise appearance at the event led to an awkward moment during the trophy presentation. A video clip showed Chandauka trying to pose next to Harry as he held the trophy with one hand around Meghan. The duchess appeared to gesture for Chandauka to move away from Harry, forcing her to duck under the trophy for the photo.

"The international press captured this," Chandauka said. There was much discussion about Meghan's presence on stage and her treatment of Chandauka. She refused Harry's request for a statement supporting Meghan because "we cannot be an extension of the Sussexes."