Prince Harry has reignited an extraordinary war of words with the Sentebale boss after she accused his former African youth charity of bullying and racism.
The Duke of Sussex has been left furious by statements by chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka, saying she acted in the ‘poorest taste’ by invoking Princess Diana’s memory after retaining control of the charity he set up to continue his mother’s work.
Harry has been left ‘devastated’ by the boardroom battle that saw him leave the charity after 19 years and fears it will now go ‘down in flames’, according to a source.
The Duke is also said to consider it a ‘hostile takeover’ of the charity he co-founded in 2006 by Dr Chandauka who he angrily claims has destroyed his ‘life’s work’.
His allies have urged Dr Chandauka to now ‘redirect her energy toward something truly worthwhile, like raising money for the children Sentebale exists to support’.
A source claimed: ‘She’s allowing it to go down in flames because of her own pride and hubris. He has for the last 19 years established this charity from nothing.’
The dispute earlier this year prompted the Duke to step down as Sentebale’s patron in support of trustees who resigned in opposition to Dr Chandauka. She then accused him of ‘harassment and bullying at scale’ – a claim that is vehemently denied.
On Tuesday, the Charity Commission published a report criticising all sides for making the fallout public with interviews and statements, but the war of words continues.
Dr Chandauka then vowed to honour the founding mission of Sentebale in memory of the Duke’s late mother after the watchdog ruled she could stay in her position.
Prince Harry and Sentebale’s chair Dr Sophie Chandauka at an event in Miami in April 2024
Diana (pictured in Angola in 1997) inspired Harry to work with children suffering from HIV/Aids
But sources close to Harry, who co-founded Sentebale in 2006, have criticised the chair, saying her ‘hostile takeover’ of the charity had destroyed his ‘life’s work’.
The Charity Commission yesterday revealed it had found ‘no evidence of widespread or systematic bullying or harassment including misogyny or misogynoir’ following a bitter boardroom battle at Sentebale.
Neither side was satisfied with the final adjudication, which criticised all parties involved, and, although the regulator urged all to be ‘mindful to channel their belief in the charity’s mission in a constructive and collaborative way’, there seems little hope of the row going away.
Referencing Diana, Dr Chandauka said: ‘Despite the recent turbulence, we will always be inspired by the vision of our founders, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, who established Sentebale in memory of their precious mothers, Princess Diana and Queen Mamohato.’
But a source close to Harry told the Telegraph in response: ‘For Sophie Chandauka to have invoked Princess Diana’s memory in her own defence was in the poorest possible taste.
‘She’s got what she wants, which is control of the charity, but unfortunately the people who suffer most out of all of this… are the children of Lesotho and Botswana.’
The source added: ‘The most devastating thing for Prince Harry in all of this is that his life’s work and all the money he was able to pump into Lesotho and Botswana through his work has gone down in flames.’
Meanwhile Sentebale has urged the Charity Commission to clarify that its report did not specifically investigate claims of racism and misogyny against Harry.
Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho at an event in Maseru, Lesotho, in October 2024
Harry holds a young child during a visit to a children’s centre in Bute-Bute, Lesotho, in 2014
Dr Chandauka previously said in March that she had ‘blown the whistle’ about abuse of power, bullying, sexism and racism at Sentebale.
Now, the new report stated that ‘based on the evidence provided and reviewed by the commission, it found no evidence of: widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity’.
The commission also said that it ‘acknowledged the strong perception of ill treatment felt by a number of parties to the dispute and the impact this may have had on them personally’.
Sentebale is said to have taken issue with an interpretation of this statement that Harry has been cleared of bullying – because the commission did not look at Dr Chandauka’s specific allegations.
A source at Sentebale told Sky News that the onus is now on the commission to ‘restate for the record that individual allegations of bullying have not been investigated or addressed in the commission’s report’.
But a source close to Harry and the former board of trustees responded to this, telling the broadcaster: ‘It’s remarkable, just yesterday Ms Chandauka was applauding the Charity Commission’s findings, yet today, after a flurry of unflattering headlines, she’s back on the warpath.
‘Issuing yet another media statement only reinforces the commission’s criticism about using the press to air internal disputes.
‘Rehashing unsubstantiated allegations of bullying, misogyny and more, which the commission found no evidence of, and dressing them up as veiled threats isn’t just provocative, it’s pitiful.
Prince Harry visits the Mants’ase children’s home during a visit to Lesotho in April 2006
‘If Ms Chandauka has genuine concerns, she should spell them out plainly or, better yet, redirect her energy toward something truly worthwhile, like raising money for the children Sentebale exists to support.’
Sentebale has also appeared to suggest allegations made by Dr Chandauka of bullying, harassment and misogyny at the charity – which the commission found no evidence of – may be pursued against individuals through ‘avenues more appropriate’.
Another source said: ‘This has been emotionally absolutely devastating for Prince Harry and (Sentebale co-founder) Prince Seeiso (of Lesotho). What’s been perpetrated over the last few months is nothing short of a hostile takeover.’
Seeiso also stepped down as patron of the charity which works in Botswana and Lesotho supporting the health and wellbeing of young people, especially those with HIV and Aids.
The source added: ‘You have to remember Prince Seeiso and Prince Harry started this charity nearly two decades ago to honour the work and continue the legacy of their mothers Queen Mamohato and Princess Diana, and the work that they had done in southern Africa to support those living with HIV and Aids.
‘In the 19 years that they have worked with this charity, and a lot of the former board of trustee members, they have raised tens of millions of pounds and distributed tens of millions of pounds.’
The commission criticised all parties in the dispute for allowing it to play out publicly and described how all trustees contributed to a ‘missed opportunity’ to resolve the issues that led to the serious disagreement which risked undermining public trust in charities generally.
Dr Chandauka with the Sussexes at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge in Miami in April 2024
Dr Sophie Chandauka and Prince Harry in Johannesburg, South Africa, in October last year
The regulator, which cannot investigate individual allegations of bullying, found no evidence of systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir (misogyny against black women) at the charity but acknowledged ‘the strong perception of ill treatment’ felt by some involved.
After conducting its regulatory compliance case the commission issued a Regulatory Action Plan with Sentebale saying it had complied with the steps, from implementing an internal dispute policy to improving the charity’s complaints and whistle-blowing procedures.
The trustees who resigned said in a statement they were ‘gravely concerned for the future of the charity’ adding they were ‘disheartened’ by the way the regulator had ‘chosen to ignore key concerns and irrefutable evidence raised with them regarding the leadership and oversight of Sentebale’s chair’.
Sentebale said in statement: ‘The Charity Commission is explicitly clear, including in its public guidance, that it is not the commission’s responsibility to adjudicate or mediate internal disputes. This would include individual allegations of bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir etc.
‘As a result, the commission has not investigated any individual allegations and therefore has not made any findings in relation to individuals, including Prince Harry.
‘The issues not investigated by the commission can and may be dealt with through avenues more appropriate than the commission.’