Prince Harry's charity appoints close ally of Prince William on SAME day Duke of Sussex quit

Dr Sophie Chandauka slams Prince Harry after Duke of Sussex resigns from his own charity

GB News
Ed Griffiths

By Ed Griffiths


Published: 30/03/2025

- 14:15

Rawlinson served as chair of Prince William's Tusk Trust from 2002 to 2013

Prince Harry's charity Sentebale has appointed Iain Rawlinson, a close ally of Prince William, as a new trustee just days after the Duke of Sussex stepped down.

The appointment comes amid a bitter row involving allegations of racism, sexism and bullying at the charity Harry founded nearly 20 years ago.


According to Companies House, Rawlinson was appointed as a trustee on March 25 - the same day Harry's departure was announced.

Rawlinson served as chair of Prince William's Tusk Trust from 2002 to 2013 and remains an active volunteer at the wildlife conservation charity.

Prince Harry and Prince William

Prince Harry's charity Sentebale has appointed Iain Rawlinson, a close ally of Prince William, as a new trustee just days after the Duke of Sussex stepped down

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Harry dramatically quit Sentebale last week "in solidarity" with trustees who resigned when relations with chair Sophie Chandauka "broke down beyond repair".

Chandauka, a Zimbabwe-born lawyer, has accused the charity of having a "cover up" involving "weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir".

In a bombshell interview with the Financial Times, Chandauka claimed the "number one risk for this organisation was the toxicity of its lead patron's brand".

She argued that controversy surrounding Prince Harry since his move to the US had hindered the charity's ability to diversify donors and make senior hires.

Prince William, Princess Kate and Iain Rawlinson

Rawlinson served as chair of Prince William's Tusk Trust from 2002 to 2013

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In another explosive claim, Chandauka accused Harry and fellow co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho of trying to "force a failure" of the organisation, only to then come to its rescue.

In an interview with Sky's Sunday Morning, she described Harry's announcement of his resignation as "unleashing of the Sussex machine on me".

A source close to the former trustees described Chandauka's claims of bullying and harassment as "completely baseless".

The financier Rawlinson has reportedly been advising Chandauka following the rift, telling the Financial Times that certain trustees had attempted to "destabilise and remove" her from her position as chair.

\u200bPrince Harry and Prince Seeiso of LesothoPrince Harry set up Sentebale with Prince Seeiso in 2006Getty

Sources say after the board of trustees formally requested Chandauka's resignation, she declined and filed a legal challenge at the High Court when they tried to force the move through with a vote.

The Charity Commission confirmed they are "aware of concerns about the governance of Sentebale" and are "assessing the issues".

Among the trustees to resign was Harry's long-time mentor Mark Dyer, a former army captain who accompanied him on his first gap-year trip to Lesotho.

Baroness Lynda Chalker of Wallasey, who served as a trustee for nearly two decades, described Chandauka's style as "almost dictatorial".