Prince Harry accused of mismanagement at Sentebale; trustees deny allegations

Dr. Sophie Chandauka, chair of Sentebale, has accused Prince Harry of mismanagement and misconduct, claiming he attempted to remove her from the organisation and failed to properly oversee its operations. In an interview with Sky News, Chandauka alleged that the charity lost key sponsors and donors following the Sussexes’ exit from the UK but was prohibited from discussing the issue.

Prince Harry ‘Number one risk’ to Sentebale

When asked whether the Duke of Sussex posed the biggest risk to the charity, Chandauka responded, “Yes,” attributing donor departures to the prince’s reputation. “It’s an uncomfortable conversation to have with Prince Harry in the room,” she claimed, referring to internal discussions about financial struggles within the charity.

Sentebale, which was co-founded by Prince Harry in 2006 in memory of his mother, Princess Diana, supports young people with HIV in Lesotho and Botswana. On Tuesday, Prince Harry resigned as the charity’s patron, along with several other senior members, following disagreements with Chandauka.

Polo fundraiser ‘went badly’

Chandauka detailed an incident in which a planned fundraiser was disrupted due to Prince Harry’s Netflix filming, which resulted in the charity losing its original venue. According to Sky News, venue owners increased the rental price upon learning of the Netflix involvement, turning the event into a commercial venture. As a result, Sentebale had to relocate to another venue through the prince’s connections.

On the day of the event, additional complications arose when Meghan Markle made a surprise appearance. “The duchess decided to attend, but she told us she wasn’t attending, and she brought a friend, a very famous friend,” Chandauka stated. She claimed the unexpected attendance led to a “choreography” mishap on stage, drawing media attention.

Prince Harry requested public support for Meghan

Following the event, Chandauka alleged that Prince Harry asked her to issue a public statement in support of Meghan Markle due to media scrutiny over the incident. “I said I wouldn’t. Not because I didn’t care about the duchess, but because we cannot be an extension of the Sussexes,” she told the news outlet.

A source close to the former trustees of Sentebale denied her account of the polo match, calling it “highly misleading,” according to the news report.

Allegations of Boardroom misconduct

Chandauka also accused Prince Harry of attempting to “eject” her from the organisation, alleging that he briefed donors and sponsors against her to undermine her fundraising efforts. “There were board meetings where members of the executive team and external strategic advisors were sending me messages saying, ‘Should I interrupt?’, ‘Should I stop this?’ ‘Oh my gosh, this is so bad,'” she claimed.

She further stated that Prince Harry unilaterally appointed board members without consulting her. “Prince Harry decides, on this specific occasion, that he wants to appoint an individual to the board, with immediate effect, without having talked to me,” she said. “Everybody’s shocked and quiet, but this is what happens when the prince is in the room and no one has the courage to speak.”

Charity’s trustees deny allegations

The report said that a source close to Sentebale’s former trustees dismissed Chandauka’s claims as “categorically false.” The source rejected allegations that Prince Harry contributed to the charity’s financial struggles, engaged in harassment, or forced Chandauka out of her role.

The source also refuted her claim that Dr. Kelello Lerotholi, a former trustee, had poor attendance and minimal contributions to board meetings. “The claim that the press was informed about the royal patrons’ departure before the charity was categorically untrue,” the source told the news outlet.

Prince Harry and co-founder respond

In response to Chandauka’s allegations, Prince Harry and Sentebale’s co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, issued a statement: “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.”