Prince Harry has made the shocking decision to step down as patron of a charity he set up almost 20 years ago due to supposed infighting within the organization.
The Sentebale charity was established in Lesotho, yes the same Lesotho Donald Trump claimed “nobody has ever heard of.” The prince has done a great deal of work in the country and he visits frequently. The charity was co-founded by Harry who joined forces with Lesotho royalty, Prince Seeiso, to help young people and their communities “create sustainable solutions that address issues of health, wealth inequity, and climate resilience.”
Why did Prince Harry step down?
Both Harry and Seeiso have resigned as patrons after trustees of the charity quit after trying to oust the chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, who was appointed the role back in 2023. According to an article from The Guardian, Dr Chandauka then proceeded to sue Sentebale causing more turmoil and fracturing the organization even further. A joint statement from Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso announced the pair’s decision to leave amid the drama.
“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.”
The statement goes on to thank the charity’s beneficiaries before outlining what the two princes intend to do next.
“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.”
As of writing, Sentebale has yet to address the situation on the official website or any of its social media pages. A spokesperson for the charity claimed that it had not received resignations from either prince but that there had been a “restructuring of our board” which introduced “experts with the capabilities and networks to accelerate Sentebale’s transformation agenda.”
Prince Harry cared deeply about the charity
Charity work has always been one of Harry’s greatest passions. His commitment to things like the Invictus Games demonstrate his desire to help others and Sentebale is no different. It was established in honor of the prince’s mother, Diana, and it was one of the few private patronages Harry was able to keep after being stripped of his royal patronages in 2021.
Meanwhile, Dr Chandauka fired back at the negative response from the trustees claiming, “everything I do at Sentebale is in pursuit of the integrity of the organisation, its mission, and the young people we serve.” She also made accusations of bullying, harassment, misogyny and more before accusing certain people of playing “the victim card.”
The charity commission confirmed to the BBC that it was “assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps” regarding Sentebale, but this whole ordeal will no doubt come as a significant blow to Prince Harry.
Published: Mar 26, 2025 08:18 am