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By Jack Royston
Chief Royal Correspondent
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Prince Harry has resigned from the charity he set up in Princess Diana's honor after a "devastating" breakdown in relations with the chair, who has alleged abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir—a term that refers to anti-Black racism and misogyny directed at Black women.
Sentebale was founded by Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in Southern Africa in 2006 and has been one of the British royal's most important projects.
When he quit the palace in January 2020 it was at a dinner for Sentebale that he used a speech to justify that dramatic departure, saying: "When I lost my mum 23 years ago, you took me under your wing." He also said: "My work and commitment for this charity, that I founded 14 years ago now, will never falter."
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And an extraordinary set of circumstances was indeed required for him to walk away, at least "until further notice."
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It would appear the trustees asked the chair, Sophie Chandauka, to step down and she responded by suing the charity at the High Court in London. Chandauka, who was previously in charge of risk for Meta's Americas division, also reported Sentebale to the Charity Commission, the charity regulator for England and Wales.
Newsweek has confirmed the existence of the lawsuit, filed on March 5. A spokesperson for the Charity Commission told Newsweek: "We can confirm that we are aware of concerns about the governance of Sentebale. We are assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps."
It is not completely clear who Chandauka's allegations of bullying and harassment were directed at, and it may be they were not intended for Harry personally.
But she did make a veiled swipe at him when she said: "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."
Newsweek has approached representatives of the Duke of Sussex and Sentebale for comment as well as Chandauka's legal team.
What Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso Said
The two royals wrote a joint statement that was first published by U.K. newspaper The Times and later released to Newsweek: "Nearly 20 years ago, we founded Sentebale in honour of our mothers. Sentebale means 'forget-me-not' in Sesotho, the local language of Lesotho, and it's what we've always promised for the young people we've served through this charity.
"Today is no different. With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as patrons of the organisation until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same.
"It is devastating that the relationship between the charity's trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation.
"These trustees acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down, while keeping the well-being of staff in mind. In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship.
"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.
"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."
What Sentebale Chair Sophie Chandauka Said
Chandauka said in a statement: "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.
"Discerning readers will ask themselves: why would the Chair of the Board report her own Trustees to the Charity Commission? Why would the High Court of England and Wales accept her application to hear the matter at all if the case had no merit?
"Well, because beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir—and the cover-up that ensued.
"For me, this is not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account. I am an African who has had the privilege of a world-class education and career. I will not be intimidated. I must stand for something. I stand for those other women who do not have the ways and means."
How the Crisis Unfolded
The dispute may relate in part at least to Chandauka's drive to relocate leadership to be closer to the communities served in Southern Africa.
Sentebale said in a statement: "We are pleased to confirm the restructuring of our Board on 25 March 2025 to introduce experts with the capabilities and networks to accelerate Sentebale's transformation agenda as announced last year.
"In April 2024, Sentebale signalled its evolution from a development organisation focused on addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS on the lives of children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana, to one that is addressing issues of youth health, wealth and climate resilience in Southern Africa."
It mentioned the strategic shift to based leadership on the ground in Southern Africa last year and added: "The recalibration of the Board is, therefore, part of Sentebale's ambitious transformation agenda. The charity has not received resignations from the Royal Patrons."
The previous chief executive, Richard Miller, quit and was replaced by Carmel Gaillard in a newly created interim executive director role in December.
At the time, Prince Harry released a statement, posted on the charity's website, backing the move: "Leading into our 20th anniversary, our organisation will be locally led, aligning with the global movement toward fostering greater local agency and ownership. This shift reflects our continued commitment to being guided by voices from within the region we serve."
It is not yet clear exactly when and how the strategic pivot may have led to the disintegration of Harry's relationship with one of his most cherished charities.
Sentebale's former trustees, Timothy Boucher, Mark Dyer, Audrey Kgosidintsi, Dr Kelello Lerotholi, and Damian West, issued a joint statement describing themselves as "a group of British and African trustees."
"Today's decision is nothing short of devastating for all of us," they said, "but we see no other path forward as the result of our loss in trust and confidence in the Chair of the board.
"Our priority has always been, and will always be, what's in the best interest of the charity, and it's desperately sad the breakdown in relationship escalated to a lawsuit by the Chair against the charity, to block us from voting her out after our request for her resignation was rejected.
"We could not in good conscience allow Sentebale to undertake that legal and financial burden and have been left with no other option but to vacate our positions."
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek*, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.*
Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan and Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
Update 3/26/25, 10:25 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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