Prince Harry said he was “shocked” after resigning from Sentebale's patron.
The Duke of Sussex said his resignation was due to a conflict between board members and Sophie Chandauka, who refused to step down and sued the charity to maintain his position.
Sentebale Chairman Sophie Chandauka (Center); Nacho Figueras, a patron co-founded by Ambassador Sentebale (left) and Harry Prince of Sentebale, took photos during the Sentebale ISPS ISPS Handa Polo Cup in Singapore on 12 August 2023.
Getty Images by Matt Jelonek/Sentebale
Prince Harry co-founded Sentebale in honor of his late mother, Diana Princess Diana, and spent some time at the orphanage in Lesotho with Prince Seeiso in Lesotho.
Prince Seso and the board joined Harry leaving Sentebale after the relationship between the board members and Chandauka broke down.
“What happened is unimaginable. We are shocked by this, but we must continue to be responsible for the beneficiaries of Sentebale, so we will share all our concerns with the charity committee to achieve this.”
“About 20 years ago, we established sentebale in memory of our mother. sentebale is the local language of Lesotho 'forget-me-no', which is what we have always promised to the young people we serve through this charity. Today is no different.”
“With a heavy heart, we have quit the role of the organization's customer until further notice to support and unite the board of directors must do the same.” “It's devastating that the relationship between the trustees of the charity and the chairman of the board has broken down and cannot be repaired, creating an incredible situation.”
The prince's statement continued: “These trustees aim to demand the best interests of the charity, demanding that the chairman resign while keeping the employee in mind. She in turn sued the charity for maintaining this voluntary status, further highlighting the broken relationship.”
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Prince Harry and Prince Sisso thanked the trustees for their “year service” and said they were “really sad and they had to follow this act”.
They concluded: “While we may no longer be customers, we will always be its founders and we will never forget the ability this charity can achieve when care is right.”
Chandauka said she had reported to the charitable committee of the UK government department’s charity department, which regulated the charity and filed documents in the UK court to prevent her from being removed from office.
In a statement, she filed allegations of misconduct in the charity without naming anyone.
“There are people in this world who act like they are above the law and abuse and then play victims and use their dismissive media to hurt those who have the courage to challenge their behavior,” Chandauka said.
She said it was “a story of a woman who dared to hype bad governance, enforced problems of weak management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, disgust and disgust, and the concealment that followed.”
The BBC reported that the charity committee said it was “aware of concerns about the governance of sentinels”, which was registered in the UK.
“We are evaluating these issues to identify appropriate regulatory steps,” they added.
After Prince Harry and Prince Sisso announced their resignation, Sentebale shared a statement on social media to let their followers know that “the work continues because they deserve less.”
“It’s an incredible team of our staff and local partners to bring our mission to life every day, walking with the children and young people we serve,” the statement began.
“While trustees are key to governance and regulation and customers (especially the founders) are an honor, it is the people in this field that are moving forward in any case,” the statement continued. “We are committed to supporting youth in Southern Africa with better health, stronger livelihoods and climate resilience as always.”
Prince Harry last visited Sentebale, Lesotho in October 2024, when he spent some time talking to young people and others and associated with charities around the bonfire.
He told them at the event: “You may not always realize how important your influence is, but if it changes a person’s life, it’s worth it.”
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, spoke at a welcome event held at the Mamohato Children's Centre in Sentebale, featuring a nonprofit youth leadership advocate in Botswana and celebrates Basatho culture on October 1, 2024 at Maseru lesotho.
Images of Brian Otieno/getty sentebale
The Duke of Sussex publicly withdrew from the royal family in January 2020 and delivered a speech to resolve the decision at Sentebale's charity dinner.
He began: “Thank you for here to provide Sentebale with the charity and the charity that Prince Seeiso created in 2006 in honor of my mother’s legacy in support of those affected by HIV and AIDS.”
He said he first visited Lesotho in 2004 and was “displayed by my dear friend Prince Seeiso”.
Prince Harry said: “Under the hardships and challenges faced by many children, we established Sentebale two years later with the support of local partners.”
“Since the beginning, we have developed a series of plans and created specially built Mamahato Center to help a generation of children break the stigma, which has allowed the HIV epidemic to flourish. Half of the children lost one or two parents into the virus.”
He added that clubs, camps and programs across Lesotho and Botswana “help children and young people learn that despite HIV positive, they can continue to live a happy and productive life.”
– Documents with the Associated Press
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