Prince Harry Accused Of ‘Harassment And Bullying’ By Charity Chairwoman Amid Resignation Fallout

 

The chairwoman of Sentebale, a charity co-founded by Prince Harry, has accused him of “harassment and bullying at scale” following his and other key figures’ resignation from the organization.

Sophie Chandauka, the chairwoman of the charity, claimed that the Duke of Sussex unleashed “the Sussex (PR) machine” against her after publicly stepping down as a patron, along with co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and the board of trustees.

Speaking in a televised interview on Sunday, Chandauka stated, “At some point on Tuesday, Prince Harry authorized the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world without informing me, my country directors, or my executive director.”

She further emphasized the impact of the move, saying, “Can you imagine what that attack has done to me and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organizations and their families? That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale.”

A source close to the charity’s trustees and patrons dismissed Chandauka’s claims, saying they “fully expected this publicity stunt” and had made their collective decision to resign with this in mind. “They remain firm in their resignation, for the good of the charity, and look forward to the adjudication of the truth,” the source added.

The same source countered Chandauka’s assertion that the press had been informed before the charity itself, stating that Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso had sent their resignation letter to the chairwoman and trustees on March 10.

The dispute appears to stem from tensions between the UK-based staff of Sentebale and those in Lesotho and Botswana, reportedly sparked by efforts to shift decision-making power to leaders in southern Africa. Chandauka previously suggested that Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso “want to force a failure and then come to the rescue” of the organization.

Prince Harry expressed that he was “in shock” over his decision to resign. He co-founded Sentebale in 2006 to support young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana, honoring his late mother, Princess Diana.

In a joint statement released Wednesday, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso said it was “with heavy hearts” that they had decided to step away from their roles “until further notice.”

Chandauka, however, appeared to take a swipe at Prince Harry in a separate statement, accusing him of “playing the victim card.”

“Everything I do at Sentebale is in pursuit of the integrity of the organization, its mission, and the young people we serve,” she said.

She also characterized the situation as “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.”

The fallout between Sentebale and its high-profile co-founder raises questions about the charity’s future direction and the broader implications for Prince Harry’s philanthropic endeavors.