Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have suffered from "highly misleading" and "baseless" claims made against them by the chair of Sentebale charity, according to close sources.
Accusations that Harry engaged in "harassment and bullying at scale" came from Dr Sophie Chandauka, who chairs the charity co-founded by the Duke of Sussex and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 in memory of Princess Diana.
In a sensational interview with Sky News, Dr Chandauka claimed Harry "unleashed the Sussex machine" after he quit as co-patron last week.
She also accused Harry of allowing his Netflix show to wreck a key fundraising event by bringing a camera crew and further alleged that donors dropped their support because of the prince's reputation after he quit his royal duties.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have suffered from 'highly misleading' and 'baseless' claims made against them by the chair of Sentebale charity as, according to close sources
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Sources close to the Duke have dismissed these allegations as a "deflection" from the real issues, claiming that the resignation of Harry and the trustees was a "direct result of the chair's mismanagement".
Claims that the prince's requests were simply nodded through by acolytes on the board were described as "completely baseless".
Harry is said to be "reeling" at how his resignation has unfolded.
Sources close to the couple insist Dr Chandauka's account is "highly misleading", claiming that the original venue had already changed its terms, resulting in increased costs and forcing the charity to find a new site with help from Harry's friend and polo player Nacho Figueras.
Dr Sophie Chandauka Accused Harry of 'harassment and bullying at scale'
PASources emphasise the venue change had "nothing to do with Netflix".
Dr Chandauka said that Meghan caused "disruption" after arriving with tennis star Serena Williams without prior notice.
She claimed Harry later asked her to "issue some sort of statement in support of the duchess" following media criticism of Meghan's behaviour on stage.
The charity, which focuses on tackling poverty and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana, was plunged into chaos last week when Harry quit, stating he was "truly heartbroken" but had no choice following a breakdown in his professional relationship with Dr Chandauka.
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Prince Harry set up Sentebale with Prince Seeiso in 2006GettyThe entire board of trustees also resigned in solidarity with the duke.
Sentebale appointed Iain Rawlinson, a close ally of Prince William, as a new trustee the same day the Duke of Sussex stepped down.
According to Companies House, Rawlinson was appointed as a trustee on March 25.
Rawlinson served as chair of Prince William's Tusk Trust from 2002 to 2013 and remains an active volunteer at the wildlife conservation charity.
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