Prince Harry has stepped down as patron of Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in 2006 to support young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. His departure follows a leadership dispute with the charity’s chair, Sophie Chandauka, which he described as “devastating.”
Harry co-founded Sentebale alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in honor of his late mother, Princess Diana, who was known for her advocacy for people with HIV/AIDS. However, both he and Seeiso have now left the organization along with the board of trustees after disagreements with Chandauka, who has since reported the trustees to Britain’s Charity Commission.
The Dispute
In a joint statement, Harry and Seeiso said the breakdown in the relationship between the charity’s trustees and Chandauka had created an “untenable situation.” They claimed the trustees had acted in the charity’s best interests by requesting that Chandauka step down.
“Although we may no longer be patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care,” the statement read.
Sentebale, however, has not yet received formal resignations from its royal patrons.
Chandauka’s Response
In her statement, Chandauka accused Harry and others of playing the “victim card” while covering up deeper governance issues.
“There are people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat 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.
She further alleged that the dispute stemmed from her efforts to expose “poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, [and] misogynoir.”
Next Steps
The UK Charity Commission has confirmed that it is assessing concerns regarding Sentebale’s governance to determine the necessary regulatory steps.
Prince Harry, who now resides in California with his wife Meghan and their two children, has long been involved in African charitable work. Despite his departure from Sentebale, he remains engaged in humanitarian efforts across the continent.
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