Why Prince Harry resigned from African charity he founded in memory of mother Diana | World News

Prince Harry has resigned from Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in 2006 in memory of his late mother Diana, following a serious governance dispute between its trustees and board chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka.
The organisation, which Harry established alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, aims to support children and young people in Southern Africa affected HIV and AIDS. However, tensions within the leadership have led to a dramatic fallout, culminating in the resignations of both royal founders and the entire board of trustees.
The conflict reportedly began when the trustees asked Dr Chandauka to step down from her role as chair, citing a breakdown in their working relationship. However, Dr Chandauka refused and took legal action to block her removal, further escalating tensions, BBC reported.
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She later accused the board of misconduct, alleging abuse of power, bullying, sexism, and racism and added that her work is “guided the principles of fairness and equitable treatment for all”. She also claimed to have reported these issues to the UK Charity Commission, presenting herself as a whleblower exposing poor governance within the organisation.
“There are people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mreat people, and then play the victim card and use the very press they disdain to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct,” she said.
This, she said, was the “story of a woman who dared to blow the whle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir [discrimination against black women] – and the coverup that ensued”.
In a joint statement, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso said they were resigning “with heavy hearts” and in “solidarity with the board of trustees.” They expressed disappointment that the dispute had reached a point where it was irreparable, making it impossible for them to continue their involvement.Story continues below this ad
“We thank all the trustees for their service over the years and are truly heartbroken they’ve had to follow through with this act,” the statement read.
“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, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about.”
The trustees, in turn, stated that they had lost trust in Dr Chandauka’s leadership and could not allow Sentebale to bear the financial and legal burden of the ongoing dispute, BBC reported.
The UK Charity Commission has acknowledged the concerns raised about Sentebale’s governance and is currently assessing the situation. Meanwhile, the charity itself has announced plans to restructure its board and shift its focus toward broader issues affecting youth in Southern Africa, including health, economic stability, and climate resilience.Story continues below this ad
Dr Chandauka maintains that her legal challenge is about holding those in power accountable, rejecting the idea that she could simply walk away from the dispute. She has accused the former trustees of using the media to play the victim while covering up deeper issues within the charity’s leadership, BBC reported.