A senior and influential member of the College of Chiefs and the Lesotho Royal Family has claimed Meghan Markle “never came” to the country where Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale was born and claimed the Duchess remains a “far-away person” to locals.
Chief Khoabane Theko, the chief whip of Lesotho’s Senate, claimed Prince Harry lost interest in Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in Lesotho, after marrying Meghan and moving to the United States.
He added the Duke of Sussex's waning attention has "killed the spirit" of the organisation following his marriage in 2018 and subsequent emigration from the UK in 2020.
The Duke's last visit to Lesotho in October 2024 was his first in six years, despite previously making more frequent trips to the African nation.
Meghan Markle ‘never visited Lesotho’ as Prince Harry accused of ‘turning back on charity’
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Chief Theko expressed his disappointment in an interview with The Telegraph near Sentebale's Mamohato Children's Centre in Thaba Bosiu.
"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," Chief Theko recalled.
He delivered a stark assessment of the Duke's commitment: "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.”
Prince Harry set up Sentebale with Prince Seeiso in 2006GettyChief Theko also expressed surprise at Prince Harry stepping away from the charity amid recent controversy.
"I'm surprised that he's relinquishing the [charity] at this stage when one expected that he would jealously guard it, because it's under his mother's legacy and I thought he would want to die for it," he said.
“Unless, maybe, he is prepared to come after and come fix it and get it back because I do not believe it comes easy to him to want to give it up, like he’s doing it’s a little bit strange for me.”
The controversy erupted after Dr Sophie Chandauka, a Zimbabwe-born corporate finance lawyer and Sentebale's chairman, accused the charity's board of harassment, bullying and "misogynoir".
The Duke of Sussex met with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho for a welcome event at Sentebale’s Mamohato Children’s Centre
GettyShe also claimed the Duke tried to use the charity as "an extension of the Sussex PR machine" to support his wife's public reputation.
Prince Harry responded that the events had been "heartbreaking to witness", adding that "such blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades" into supporting young people in southern Africa.
Last month, both Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso stepped down from the charity alongside the board of trustees.
The Charity Commission is now investigating the governance of the organisation following Dr Chandauka's allegations.
Prince Harry founded Sentebale in 2006GettyChief Theko said he was "perturbed" when the Duke and Duchess took holidays in Africa but failed to visit Lesotho.
"I was surprised to see them come to Botswana but not Lesotho, knowing what they have in Lesotho would be bringing them closer to our shores," he said. “But they returned from Botswana and I was a little bit perturbed by that.”
The chief noted that Meghan has never visited Lesotho, saying: "Did she never come to Lesotho, Meghan? No she hasn't. So it seems like she's a far-away person for us, we do not know about her."
He added: "I thought they would do that more often, because he's been visiting a lot of African states after their marriage."
Chief Theko described Prince Harry as a "very down-to-earth person" who was not "self-indulgent" and was "everybody's friend" during his more frequent visits.
GB News has contacted the Sussexes for comment.
