The Duke of Sussex has stepped down from his charity, Sentebale, following a devastating breakdown in governance and trust within the organisation.
In a deeply emotional statement released on Tuesday evening, Prince Harry revealed that he had resigned from his role at the helm of Sentebale, a charity he founded in 2006 in memory of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. His resignation comes in solidarity with the charity’s board of trustees, all of whom have also vacated their positions in the wake of an ongoing crisis.
The charity, which focuses on supporting children affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana, has been plagued by a bitter conflict involving its newly-appointed chairwoman, Dr Sophia Chandauka, and the board.
The Duke of Sussex and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, expressed their heartbreak over the situation, citing the “unthinkable” breakdown in relations.
Governance Issues Spark Resignations
Sentebale has confirmed that it is under investigation by the Charity Commission, following concerns raised about the governance of the charity. At the centre of the turmoil is Dr Chandauka’s appointment last summer as chair, which has led to increasing tensions with the trustees.
Reports suggest that when the trustees asked Dr Chandauka to step down, she responded by filing a lawsuit against the charity, allegedly to secure her position.
In their joint statement, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso said they were “truly heartbroken” by the developments.
“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,” the two princes said.
“We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale’s beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about.”
Five former trustees, including Mark Dyer, an Army captain and long-time mentor to Prince Harry, also issued a statement confirming their decision to step down.
They expressed their dismay at the breakdown in trust with Dr Chandauka, which led to the lawsuit and ultimately forced them to vacate their positions for the sake of the charity.
“This was not a choice willingly made, but rather something we felt forced into in order to look after the charity,” the former trustees said.
Accusations and Counter-Claims
In an extraordinary turn of events, Dr Chandauka accused the resigning trustees of “abuse of power, bullying, misogyny, and harassment” in a fiery response to their decision. She also took aim at the Duke of Sussex, calling Sentebale a “vanity project” for those who had resigned and accusing them of using the media to damage the charity’s reputation.
“Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to the 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 cover-up that ensued,” she said.
Dr Chandauka, however, remains defiant, stating that she will not step down from her position and will continue to focus on fundraising for Sentebale’s work. “For me, this is not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account,” she stated.
A Shifting Focus for Sentebale
The infighting comes at a time of significant change for Sentebale. Earlier this year, the charity shifted its operations to southern Africa as part of a broader strategy to invest in locally-led organisations and place senior leadership roles in closer proximity to its programmes. This restructuring has also seen key figures, including CEO Richard Miller and several board directors, step down in recent months.
Despite the ongoing crisis, Sentebale has remained adamant that it will continue to evolve, with the charity stating that it is now focusing on broader issues of youth health, wealth, and climate resilience across southern Africa, in addition to its initial work with children affected by HIV/AIDS.
The Duke of Sussex founded Sentebale after spending time in Lesotho during his gap year in 2004. He and Prince Seeiso have remained deeply committed to the cause, with Prince Harry attending various fundraising events, including polo matches, to raise awareness and support for the charity.
While neither Prince Harry nor Prince Seeiso have officially resigned from Sentebale, their decision to step down from their roles as patrons has left many questioning the future direction of the organisation.
