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Prince Harry quits Sentebale, a charity he co-founded alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, in South Africa, but the aftermath has him setting. The Duke of Sussex founded the charity in 2006 to help young people living with HIV/Aids in Lesotho and Botswana. He had the inspiration for the project during his 2004 visit to the kingdom of Lesotho, a small town in Southern Africa, which has the highest number of documented HIV and AIDS cases in the world. Sentebale is particularly dear to Harry’s heart as he founded it in honor of his late mom, Princess Diana, as well as Seeiso’s mom. The term means “forget-me-not” in Lesotho’s native language.
Even after stepping back from royal duties in 2020, the 40-year-old continued in his role as patron, visiting the Lesotho kingdom several times over the years, including a brief trip in October 2024. Hence, when Prince Harry announced his decision to call it quits with the South Africa-focused charity Sentebale this week, it raised many questions among shocked royal fans.
Prince Harry Resigns as Patron of Sentebale
On Wednesday, March 26, both Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso announced their resignations from the charity, along with several trustees. The cofounders went candid about their decisions in a joint statement, attributing it to the “untenable” breakdown of the relationship between the Sentebale chairwoman and the board of trustees.
Expressing heartbreak over their decision, which admittedly left them “in shock,” the duo reiterated their commitment to the charity, acknowledging they would forever remain its founders despite stepping back as patrons “until further notice.” Their decision followed a dispute with Sentebale chair Sophie Chandauka, who took legal action to retain her position after the board voted in favor of ousting her from the spot she’s held since July 2023.
A friend of Harry’s has since shared his reaction to the ensuing drama since quitting his role at Sentebale charity. According to the source, the prince understood how much damage this could cause, especially to his already dwindling reputation. This realization has left the prince enraged. The insider told Daily Mail,
“There’s no way of sugar-coating the damage of this, regardless of who’s in the right. He’ll be reeling.”
Chandauka Speaks Out Regarding Sentebele Infighting
In her own statement explaining the row, Chandauka cited issues like poor governance, weak management, misogyny, misogynoir, bullying, and harassment. She also alleged that the board fostered prejudice, especially against black women, making them increasingly displeased with her leadership decisions. The Zimbabwe-born lawyer claimed her actions were guided by “the principles of fairness and equitable treatment for all.” The Sentebale chairwoman also took an obvious jab at Prince Harry in her statement, insinuating he was playing the victim card, without expressly naming him. She wrote,
“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.”
Chandauka convincingly portrayed herself as a woman persecuted for daring to “blow the whistle” about the bad practices within Sentebale, and the cover-up that ensued. Some royal fans bought into her assertions, concluding that Prince Harry was indeed involved in some shady business, using Sentebale as a front. Slamming the 40-year-old’s alleged misconduct, one Reddit user fired,
“It’s a clap forward. Harry tried to jump the gun on his PR to hide his full involvement in questionable conduct.”
Another Redditor wrote,
“The fact that the chair sued the board, and a majority of the board chose to resign instead of fight, tells me she has major dirt she threatened to spill publicly. She forced Harry and the other founder out.”
Sentebale Row Leaves Netizens Divided
Some fans directly accused Prince Harry of collaborating with his Sentebale charity cofounder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, in South Africa, to launder money. According to these speculators, the two princes rushed to resign the moment the chair threatened to expose their “money laundering grifts.” Fans also noted that given Chandauka’s role within the charity was voluntary and unpaid, something bigger must have prompted her desire to stay on as chair. However, others insisted that the chairwoman may, in fact, have been the problem. One netizen pointed out,
“Unless this woman is violating some by-laws, or charity commission rules, I don’t see the reason for an investigation. I mean, does the charity commission usually get involved in who runs a charity (as long as they’re not criminals or prohibited for whatever reason)?”
The differing opinion ultimately sparked a heated debate across internet platforms, leaving netizens divided between Team Harry and Team Chandauka. It is worth noting that Prince Harry is not subject to any legal actions taken so far in connection with his case. It follows a string of crises that have befallen Harry in recent times, including his visa application row.
