Prince Harry Embroiled In 'Racist, Sexist Bullying' Row After Quitting His Chairty As Chairwoman Speaks Out

Prince Harry recently stepped down from his role at Sentebale following a major dispute with the organization's leadership.

However, there seems to be more than meet the eyes behind his decision as the Charity organization's chairwoman, Sophie Chandauka, alleged a "cover-up" was happening.

A spokesperson for the Prince Harry charity shared that the group only carried out a "restructuring" of its board as they look to redeploy senior roles close to the "team and programmes in southern Africa."

Harry's African charity, Sentebale, has been thrown into leadership turmoil amid a standoff between the organization's board of trustees and its chairwoman.

Sentebale, established by the Duke of Sussex and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006, focuses on supporting vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana, particularly those affected by HIV/AIDS.

Last year, Zimbabwean-born lawyer Sophie Chandauka was appointed chair of its trustees, but the move seemingly didn't sit well with ranking members of the board, who wanted her to step down, prompting her to sue.

Harry has now announced his decision to step down from the organization following an "unthinkable" internal controversy.

The internal controversy allegedly stemmed from a decision to move its fundraising operations to Africa, prompting key figures within the organization, including Harry's lifelong friend Mark Dyer, to walk away.

Harry also stood in solidarity with his co-founder and the entire board of trustees, claiming that "the relationship between the charity's trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation."

Sentebale's chair, Sophie Chandauka, has now hit back at her colleagues, alleging there was a "cover-up" going on at the charity organization, as well as claims of "racist, sexist bullying" and counter-accusations regarding organizational management.

Dr. Chandauka also took a swipe at "people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat people," going on to slam such people for then playing "the victim card" and using "the very press they disdain."

"For me, this is not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account," she continued, per the Daily Mail. "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."

Chandauka explained that everything she does at Sentebale "is in pursuit of the integrity of the organization, its mission, and the young people we serve," adding that she carries out her duties "by the principles of fairness and equitable treatment for all, regardless of social status or financial means."

"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 added.

Elsewhere in her statement, Sentebale's chairwoman likened herself to a whistleblower calling attention to the alleged misconduct behind the scenes.

"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?" she said.

"Well, because beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to the press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle," Dr. Chandauka noted.

"I have one job. I must focus on fundraising for the very important work of the young people who inspire the incredible team at Sentebale who make sacrifices daily at a time when geopolitics is severely impacting funding for development work in Africa," she went on.

Chaundauka further stated, "I am indebted to those who have stood by me and picked up my urgent call for help so that we can continue the mission at Sentebale. I will continue to faithfully perform my role as Chair of the Board, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with others who are interested in issues of health, wealth, and climate resilience for young people in Africa."

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the charity outfit said it carried out a "restructuring" of its board as "confirmation of its strategy to redeploy senior roles to be proximate to most of the team and programs in southern Africa."

"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," the spokesperson shared, per the Daily Mail.

"In April 2024, Sentebale signaled its evolution from a development organization 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."

They went on, "Our highly successful Return to Southern Africa (RTSA) campaign with prospective international funders in October 2024 demonstrated Sentebale's potential in these domains."

The spokesperson emphasized that "the recalibration of the Board" is part of the charity organization's "ambitious transformation agenda."

In his joint resignation statement with Prince Seesio, Harry noted how "devastating" the incident had been for him.

It read, "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."

"With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as patrons of the organization until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same," Harry and Seesio's statement continued in part, per People Magazine.

They concluded, "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."