Prince Harry Accused of Harassment by Co-Founder of Charity Sentebale
Allegations arise amidst internal conflict within the organization co-founded by the Duke of Sussex.
Prince Harry has been accused of harassment and bullying by Sophie Chandauka, the chairwoman of Sentebale, a charity he co-founded at the age of 21. The accusations emerged following Harry's recent decision to step down as the organization's patron, a role he had maintained after distancing himself from the British monarchy in 2020.
Chandauka made these allegations during an interview with Sky News, asserting that Harry had attempted to force her out of her position, a process she described as lasting for months and marked by intimidation.
She claims to possess evidence of this conduct, stating, "What Prince Harry wanted to do was to remove me, and it has lasted months.
It has been months, in the form of intimidation, harassment."
Attempts to contact Prince Harry for comment from his residence in California were unsuccessful.
Chandauka, who was appointed to her role in 2023 and has faced accusations of poor governance from some board members, highlighted what she described as a culture of silence within the organization.
This environment reportedly made it difficult for board members to speak out against the Duke or discuss contentious issues, such as the loss of significant donations, which Chandauka attributes, with supporting documents, to Harry's departure from the UK in 2020.
She also addressed a controversial incident during a charity fundraising event last year, where a Netflix film crew—part of Harry's lucrative contract with the platform—was present.
The footage captured a moment of tension between Chandauka and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, as they both sought to hold a trophy on stage.
Following the event, Chandauka claimed, Harry requested that she make a statement in support of the Duchess.
However, Kelello Lerotholi, a former board member, reported to Sky News that he had never witnessed any such request from Harry during meetings he attended, describing Chandauka's governance style as "almost dictatorial." Lynda Chalker, who served on Sentebale's board for almost 20 years, echoed this sentiment, criticizing Chandauka's management approach.
Harry co-founded Sentebale to continue the legacy of his mother, Princess Diana, who was an ardent supporter of AIDS awareness.
The charity primarily focuses on supporting children and young people orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana, both of which are affected by high rates of the disease.
Chandauka expressed confidence in the charity's resilience amid these allegations, stating, "If Sentebale exists, it is because of the people in Africa who do this work every day.
Prince Harry came to Africa for the first time in five years last year because I asked him to.
Who do you think was running operations during the pandemic?"
Chandauka made these allegations during an interview with Sky News, asserting that Harry had attempted to force her out of her position, a process she described as lasting for months and marked by intimidation.
She claims to possess evidence of this conduct, stating, "What Prince Harry wanted to do was to remove me, and it has lasted months.
It has been months, in the form of intimidation, harassment."
Attempts to contact Prince Harry for comment from his residence in California were unsuccessful.
Chandauka, who was appointed to her role in 2023 and has faced accusations of poor governance from some board members, highlighted what she described as a culture of silence within the organization.
This environment reportedly made it difficult for board members to speak out against the Duke or discuss contentious issues, such as the loss of significant donations, which Chandauka attributes, with supporting documents, to Harry's departure from the UK in 2020.
She also addressed a controversial incident during a charity fundraising event last year, where a Netflix film crew—part of Harry's lucrative contract with the platform—was present.
The footage captured a moment of tension between Chandauka and Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, as they both sought to hold a trophy on stage.
Following the event, Chandauka claimed, Harry requested that she make a statement in support of the Duchess.
However, Kelello Lerotholi, a former board member, reported to Sky News that he had never witnessed any such request from Harry during meetings he attended, describing Chandauka's governance style as "almost dictatorial." Lynda Chalker, who served on Sentebale's board for almost 20 years, echoed this sentiment, criticizing Chandauka's management approach.
Harry co-founded Sentebale to continue the legacy of his mother, Princess Diana, who was an ardent supporter of AIDS awareness.
The charity primarily focuses on supporting children and young people orphaned by HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana, both of which are affected by high rates of the disease.
Chandauka expressed confidence in the charity's resilience amid these allegations, stating, "If Sentebale exists, it is because of the people in Africa who do this work every day.
Prince Harry came to Africa for the first time in five years last year because I asked him to.
Who do you think was running operations during the pandemic?"
