The chair of an African charity co-founded by Prince Harry has said tensions with the Duke of Sussex began in April 2024 when she refused what she described as a request to defend Meghan in the media, deepening an ongoing public row.
Sophie Chandauka, who has chaired Sentebale since 2023, claimed the charity's founders Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho "want to force a failure and then come to the rescue".
In an interview after the dispute erupted, Chandauka told the Financial Times that "the number one risk for this organisation was the toxicity of its lead patron's brand".
The Zimbabwe-born lawyer defended her record as chair and insisted the organisation would "live on", despite Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso announcing on Tuesday that they were stepping away after trustees tried and failed to remove Chandauka as chair.
The chair of an African charity co-founded by Prince Harry has said tensions with the Duke of Sussex began in April 2024 when she refused what she described as a request to defend Meghan in the media
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The prince's founded Sentebale, meaning "forget me not", in 2006 in memory of their mothers, to help young people affected by Aids in southern Africa.
The royal patrons and all five of the charity's trustees resigned earlier this week rather than remain involved with Chandauka as chair, with the UK Charity Commission now looking into the events.
Chandauka claimed she experienced "disrespect, bullying and intimidation" and "misogyny and misogynoir" during her time as chair, allegations that have been vehemently denied.
She said tensions with Prince Harry began in April 2024 when she refused what she described as a request to defend Meghan in the media.
Sophie Chandauka has chaired Sentebale since 2023
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She said: "I said no, we're not setting a precedent by which we become an extension of the Sussex PR machine."
In March, Chandauka took the dramatic step of applying to the UK High Court to block a boardroom vote to remove her.
Chandauka argued that Prince Harry's volatile public image since his move to the US, including his Netflix docuseries and controversial memoir, had impacted the charity's ability to attract donors and make senior hires.
Prince Harry has provided direct funding for the charity, including £1.5million from the sale of his book Spare, according to 2022 accounts.
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Prince Harry set up Sentebale with Prince Seeiso in 2006GettyLatest figures show total income in August 2023 stood at £3.4m, down from £4.5m a year earlier.
The newly formed board includes Iain Rawlinson, a financier who previously chaired Prince William's conservation charity Tusk Trust.
A Charity Commission spokesperson confirmed they are "aware of concerns about the governance of Sentebale" and are "assessing the issues".
Chandauka acknowledged the public row had been stressful for staff, she said in a message to the charity's former patrons: "The team is resolved that Sentebale will live on, with or without you."
GB News has contacted representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex for a comment.
