The row engulfing Prince Harry’s Sentebale charity has deepened with a claim he ‘lost interest’ in the organisation after getting married to Meghan Markle. Harry dramatically quit as patron of the organisation he co-founded, which helps young people and children in southern Africa, particularly those living with HIV and Aids, last month.
He set up Sentebale, which is now the subject of an investigation by the Charity Commission, in honour of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales in 2006 alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho – but a boardroom battle erupted at the organisation following a public war of words with its chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka.
And now a fresh allegation has emerged. Khoabane Theko, the principal chief of Thaba Bosiu, where the Sentebale is based in Lesotho, has spoken out, suggesting Harry could have visited “more often”. He told The Telegraph: “When [Sentebale] was launched, I remember his words quite vividly, because he was very strong in saying ‘my mother, this place, her passion about Africa’ and all that.
“He’s a loved figure because of his openness, but his loss of interest has totally killed the spirit of the Sentebale’s survival.” He added: “I haven’t seen him [ Prince Harry ] since he got himself married.” Harry has visted Lesotho twice since he married Meghan back in May 2018, with the last visit coming in October last year. The Mirror has contacted the Office of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for comment. Sentebale said Mr Theko is not connected to the charity in any way.
Earlier this month, Harry revealed his heartbreak and hit out at “blatant lies” after an investigation into Sentebale was launched. It came after the chair Ms Chandauka levelled accusations of bullying and harassment in a bid to remove her. It also emerged that several trustees had also left the charity in a boardroom battle with Dr Chandauka. The mass exodus came after they requested her resignation following concerns about leadership, and she refused to step down
In a defiant statement earlier this month, Harry said he was relieved by the Charity Commission probe and hoped it would allow the organisation to be “put in the right hands immediately”.
He said: “From the inception of Sentebale nearly 20 years ago, Prince Seeiso and I have had a clear goal: to support the children and young people in Southern Africa in memory of our mothers. What has transpired over the last week has been heartbreaking to witness, especially when such blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades in this shared goal. No one suffers more than the beneficiaries of Sentebale itself.
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“On behalf of the former trustees and patrons, we share in the relief that the Charity Commission confirmed they will be conducting a robust inquiry. We fully expect it will unveil the truth that collectively forced us to resign. We remain hopeful this will allow for the charity to be put in the right hands immediately, for the sake of the communities we serve.”
Earlier, Harry and Prince Seeiso said their resignations came “with heavy hearts”, adding that it was “devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation”.
Dr Chandauka then fired back in her own statement in which she alleged there had been “poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir”. The claims have been strongly denied. She also appeared to criticise Harry for going to the press and for what she described as playing “the victim card”. A source close to the former trustees and patrons of Sentebale dismissed Dr Chandauka’s comments as a “publicity stunt”.
In a TV interview, the charity chief then claimed the duke had tried to “eject” her from the charity through “bullying” and “harassment”. Meghan then became embroiled in the row after a video resurfaced from a Sentebale fundraising polo match in Miami last April.
It shows the Duchess of Sussex appear to choreograph who stood next to Harry, and in an awkward moment, Ms Chandauka moved from beside the duke to Meghan’s side, ducking under a trophy. Ms Chandauka addressed the clip in an interview claiming that Meghan had only decided to turn up at the event at short notice – bringing her “very famous friend” Serena Williams with her.
Recalling the day to Sir Trevor Phillips on Sky News, she claimed: “We would have been really excited had we known ahead of time [Meghan was coming], but we didn’t.”
She also claimed that after the video appeared online, Harry had asked her to issue a statement in support of Meghan, but said she refused as the charity “cannot be an extension of the Sussexes”. Reports then alleged Harry sent Dr Chandauka an ‘unpleasant’ message asking her to “explain herself”, using “imperious” language and leaving the charity chair “taken aback”. However, sources close to the couple have said that some of the claims are attempts to “deflect from the serious matters at play here.”
As the royals get back to their normal duties after a difficult year, the Mirror has launched its very own Royal WhatsApp community where you’ll get all the latest news on the UK’s most famous family.
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