Star Metro - Prince Harry charity rift blows up as chair makes fresh allegations

Earlier this week, Harry and Lesotho's Prince Seeiso announced their departure from the Sentebale charity they founded in 2006 following a "devastating" dispute between trustees and board chair Sophie Chandauka.

Relations with Chandauka, who was appointed in 2023, "broke down beyond repair", they said in a joint statement on Tuesday, prompting trustees to leave and demand that Chandauka resign.

In the latest allegations, Chandauka accused Harry, who founded the charity in memory of his mother Princess Diana, of trying to force her out through "bullying (and) harassment" in an interview with Sky News.

Prince Harry did not give Sky News a formal response to the allegations, but some former trustees have questioned the veracity of the claims.

According to Chandauka, there was a culture of "silence" at the organisation, with board members reluctant to speak out against the Duke of Sussex, whom she accused of "belligerence" in board meetings and beyond.

In one example, Chandauka criticised Harry for his decision to bring a Netflix camera crew to the charity's polo fundraiser last year, as well as an unplanned appearance by his wife Meghan at the event.

Following critical media coverage of the fundraiser, she claimed Harry "asked me to issue some sort of a statement in support of the Duchess (of Sussex)".

She alleged the request to back Meghan was a push by the "Sussex PR machine" that "supports Prince Harry's efforts".

Former trustee Kelello Lerotholi told Sky News he did not recognise the allegations of boardroom rifts and discontent.

A source close to the trustees told the BBC they "fully expected this publicity stunt" after they left the board.

- 'Cover-up' -

Former British politician Lynda Chalker, who quit as a trustee in November after nearly 20 years, described Chandauka's governance style as "almost dictatorial".

Chalker told The Times she left because she was "not happy with the direction" the chair was taking.

Harry founded the charity in honour of his mother with Seeiso to help young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and later Botswana.

"What's transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale's beneficiaries," the co-founders said in their resignation.

According to Chandauka, relations broke down after she complained about "the harassment and the misogyny" in the organisation including by individuals on the board.

Harry was not one of the individuals, and they had a "great relationship" before she made the allegations, according to the Zimbabwe-born lawyer.

But she said that after she spoke out, Harry "interfered in the investigation".

"So it's a cover-up, and the prince is involved," Chandauka said, claiming that after that point, the prince wanted her out.

"What Prince Harry wanted to do was to eject me and this went on for months. It went on for months through bullying, harassment," she said.

- 'Aware of concerns' -

Chandauka said she had reported trustees to the UK's Charity Commission regulator and taken her case to the High Court in London.

Harry and Seeiso said Chandauka had "sued the charity" to remain in her position after trustees asked her to step down, adding that they would also share their concerns with the Charity Commission.

The Charity Commission told AFP it was "aware of concerns about the governance of Sentebale".

"We are assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps," it said.

The latest accusations are a fresh blow for the prince, who kept up only a handful of his private patronages including with Sentebale after a dramatic split with the British royals in 2020.

While Harry was integral to the founding vision of the charity, to which he once said he was "committed for the rest of my life", Chandauka said "Sentebale has a future" beyond the prince.

"Sentebale is here because of the people in Africa who do the work every single day," the chair said, alleging that "Prince Harry visited Africa for the first time in five years when I asked him to last year".

Harry chose the name Sentebale as a tribute to Diana -- it means "forget me not" in the Sesotho language and is also used to say goodbye.

O.Ouellet--SMC