How the Collapse of Prince Harry’s Charity Sentebale Has Unfolded Amid “Bullying” Claims

Prince Harry has been accused of bullying after resigning from a charity he co-founded nearly 20 years ago.

Sentebale was launched by the Duke of Sussex — in honor of his mother, Princess Diana — and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 to help children and young people in Africa, particularly those with HIV and Aids. The work has been described as integral to Harry’s adult life and a source of great pride for him for nearly two decades.

This all came to a halt on Wednesday, when Harry and Prince Seeiso released a joint statement saying they are “truly heartbroken” but would be resigning from their roles as patrons at Sentebale following a dispute with chairwoman Dr. Sophie Chandauka, a lawyer appointed in 2023.

“These trustees acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down, while keeping the wellbeing of staff in mind. In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship,” Harry and Seeiso said. “We thank all the trustees for their service over the years and are truly heartbroken they’ve had to follow through with this act.”

“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 statement continued.

Dr. Chandauka has now began speaking out about her experience as chair of Sentebale. Talking to The Financial Times, the lawyer said she first felt tensions with Prince Harry a year ago.

She accused Harry of wanting “to force a failure and then come to the rescue,” and also claimed the duke’s team asked her to defend his wife, Meghan, from negative publicity. “I said no, we’re not setting a precedent by which we become an extension of the Sussex PR machine,” she said.

Things worsened for Harry when Chandauka spoke to Sky News on Sunday and criticized the duke’s handling of his resignation, describing it as “harassment and bullying at scale.” She also alleged that he was “involved” in covering up an investigation into harassment and misogyny at the charity, saying: “The number-one risk for this organization was the toxicity of its lead patron’s brand.”

She maintained her work has been “guided by the principles of fairness and equitable treatment for all,” and that she had reported the trustees to the U.K. Charity Commission, an independent department which regulates charities operating in Britain.

Sentebale, meanwhile, has confirmed a restructuring of its board. A source close to the former trustees and patrons has reportedly described Dr Chandauka’s accusations as “a publicity stunt.”

“They remain firm in their resignation, for the good of the charity, and look forward to the adjudication of the truth,” the source added, according to the BBC.

The Hollywood Reporter has contacted both Sentebale and Prince Harry’s team for comment.