Sentebale scandal: Prince Harry devastated after resigning from charity
Dr Chandauka accused the charity of being a “vanity project” for Prince Harry
Prince Harry has been dealt a “crushing blow” after being forced to step down as patron of Sentebale, a charity he co-founded in 2006 to honour the memory of his late mother, Princess Diana.
Speaking on Palace Confidential, Daily Mail Royal Editor Rebecca English highlighted the emotional weight of Harry’s departure.
“It's important to emphasise how crushing a blow this will be for him [Prince Harry] because it was such a big passion project for him, set up in memory of his late mother — Sentebale means 'forget-me-not' in the local dialect.”
Harry’s departure, along with that of his co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and the entire board of trustees, comes after an intense fallout with Sentebale’s chairwoman, Dr Sophie Chandauka.
The fallout has been described as a significant reputational blow for Prince Harry, who has been eager to establish himself as a “global philanthropist”.
English added: “That is going to be humiliating for him [Prince Harry] at a time when he quite clearly does not want to be involved in Meghan's merchandising. He wants to be seen as a global philanthropist, and this situation is not a good look for him.”
What is going on between Dr. Chandauka and Prince Harry?
Dr Chandauka, a corporate finance lawyer who previously served on Sentebale’s board between 2009 and 2015 before becoming chairwoman in 2023, claimed she was forced out after reporting misconduct at the charity.
Chandauka alleged that Sentebale’s leadership was plagued by “abuse of power, bullying, sexism, and racism” and stated that she had reported the trustees to the UK Charity Commission, which has now launched an inquiry into the governance of the organisation.
In a damning statement, Dr Chandauka presented herself as a “whistleblower” and accused the charity of being a “vanity project” for Harry, Prince Seeiso, and the board of trustees.
She revealed that she had filed a lawsuit against Sentebale in the High Court, where her application has reportedly been accepted.
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