Prince Harry leaves “devastated” his NGO Sentebale in honor of Lady Di under accusations of the administrator: “abuse of power, bullying and misogyny”

Prince Harry has stepped down from the charity he co-founded nearly two decades ago in memory of his late mother Princess Diana, leaving behind an organization in turmoil. Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, with whom the Duke of Sussex founded the charity, has also resigned from Sentebale.

They both did so in solidarity with other trustees who have been sued by the charity’s current chair, Sophie Chandauka. She accuses the organization of “abuse of power, bullying, harassment, and misogyny,” igniting a controversy that has now led to an irreparable split.

A dream in honor of Princess Diana, now in crisis

Founded in 2006, Sentebale—meaning “Forget-Me-Not” in Sesotho—was Prince Harry’s and Prince Seeiso’s tributes to their late mothers. Its mission: to combat HIV and AIDS in southern Africa. But on March 26, 2024, nearly 19 years later, Harry and Prince Seeiso issued a joint statement announcing their resignation.

“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,” the statement read.

Prince Harry, now 40, and Prince Seeiso said that they were taking this action “with heavy hearts” but that they were doing so “in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees” who have also felt obligated to resign. “What’s transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this,” he and Prince Seeiso said in their joint resignation statement.

What led to the rift? accusations, resignations, and a power struggle

At the center of the controversy is Sophie Chandauka, a Zimbabwe-born lawyer who became Sentebale’s chair of the trustees last year. Many trustees opposed her appointment, leading to mounting tensions. The situation escalated when key trustee members requested her resignation—prompting Chandauka to file a lawsuit against them.

Sources indicate the dispute began when the board debated moving Sentebale’s fundraising operations from London to Africa, a shift that sparked internal opposition and high-profile resignations. Chandauka, in a statement to the Daily Mail, alleged that a “cover-up” was taking place within the organization.

She claimed there were deep-seated issues of “weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir [discrimination against Black women].”

“There are people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat people, and then play the victim card,” she added.

Despite the growing pressure to step down, Chandauka has refused, stating, “For me, this is not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account… I will not be intimidated. I must stand for something.”

Prince Harry and trustees respond: “This Is About Protecting the Charity”

The trustees who resigned—including Timothy Boucher, Mark Dyer, Audrey Kgosidintsi, Kelello Lerotholi, and Damian West—described their departure as “nothing short of devastating.” They argued that their actions were taken “in the best interest of the charity” and accused Chandauka of taking legal action simply to hold onto her voluntary position. “It’s desperately sad the breakdown in relationship escalated to a lawsuit,” they said.

Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso echoed this sentiment in their statement, saying, “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.” However, her lawsuit to remain further underscored “the broken relationship” and they “are truly heartbroken [the trustees have] had to follow through with this act.”

Chandauka countered that her work at Sentebale has been “guided by the principles of fairness and equitable treatment for all fairness” and that she “will continue to faithfully perform” her role in the organization.

What’s next for sentebale?

In April 2024, Sentebale announced a shift in its mission, expanding from a focus on HIV/AIDS to broader issues like youth health, economic empowerment, and climate resilience across Southern Africa.

The charity has justified the shakeup, stating that the restructuring of the board was “part of Sentebale’s ambitious transformation agenda.”

However, The Independent reports that the UK’s Charity Commission has confirmed it is “assessing concerns about the governance of Sentebale” and is currently look into the charity’s issues so it can “determine the appropriate regulatory steps.”