Prince Harry and Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso have officially stepped down as patrons of Sentebale, the charity they co-founded in 2006 to honor Princess Diana and Seeiso’s late mother.
Their resignations come in the wake of a dispute between Sophie Chandauka, chair of the charity’s board, and the trustees, all of whom have also resigned.
A Breakdown Beyond Repair
In a statement, the princes explained their difficult decision:
“With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as patrons of the organization until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same.
It is devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation.”
Reports indicate that the conflict began when trustees asked Chandauka—a Zimbabwe-born lawyer appointed chair in July 2023—to step down. When she refused, the entire board resigned, including Mark Dyer, a lifelong friend of Harry’s.
“These trustees acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down, while keeping the well-being of staff in mind,” the princes stated. “In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship.”
Prince Harry Steps Down As Patron of Sentebale
Allegations and Legal Action
Chandauka refuted the claims, telling the Daily Mail that she had reported Sentebale to the UK’s Charity Commission over what she described as a “cover-up” and allegations of racism and sexism.
“My actions are guided by the principles of fairness and equitable treatment for all, regardless of social status or financial means,” she said.
“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.”
A source close to the situation told Vanity Fair that the resigning trustees were concerned about financial mismanagement under Chandauka’s tenure, with tensions escalating since December 2024.
In their own statement, Harry and Seeiso confirmed they would be sharing details of the situation with the Charity Commission:
“What’s transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale’s beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about.”
Looking Back on Sentebale’s Mission
Despite the turmoil, Harry and Chandauka had appeared together publicly as recently as December 2024, attending a fundraiser for Sentebale at a gallery in New York’s Lower East Side.
As they step away, Harry and Seeiso expressed gratitude to the former trustees and reiterated their commitment to Sentebale’s original mission:
“Nearly 20 years ago, we founded Sentebale in honor of our mothers. Sentebale means ‘forget-me-not’ in Sesotho, the local language of Lesotho, and it’s what we’ve always promised for the young people we’ve served through this charity. Today is no different.”
