March 27, 2025 Story by: Editor
Prince Harry has stepped down as a patron of Sentebale, the African charity he co-founded in memory of his late mother, following a dispute between the trustees and the chairperson.
Founded in 2006, Sentebale was established to support young people in Lesotho and Botswana, focusing on health initiatives such as HIV and AIDS awareness, as well as economic inequality and climate resilience.
Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, the charity’s co-founder, has also resigned as a patron, officially ending their association with Sentebale, which means “forget me not” in Sesotho. The two initially founded the organization to honor their mothers—Britain’s Princess Diana and Lesotho’s Queen Mamahato.
The decision to step down came after an irreparable breakdown in the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board, making the situation “untenable,” the two said in a joint statement to Britain’s Press Association news agency.
Despite their announcement, Sentebale stated on Wednesday that it had not received formal resignations from either Harry or Seeiso.
Harry’s patronage of Sentebale was one of the private roles he retained after stepping down as a working member of Britain’s royal family.
According to the charity’s website, Sophie Chandauka has served as its chair since July 2023. She is also listed as a co-founder of Nandi Life Sciences, a Texas-based biotechnology company.
Without specifically naming Chandauka, Harry and Seeiso stated that the charity’s trustees had asked the chair to step down “while keeping the wellbeing of staff in mind.” However, they did not provide details on the reasons behind this request.
In response, the chair took legal action against the charity to retain her position, which Harry and Seeiso said “further underscor[es] the broken relationship.”
Defending her stance, Chandauka stated on Wednesday that Sentebale was “not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account,” emphasizing her commitment to “focus on fundraising.”
“Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir — and the coverup that ensued,” she said.
Harry and Seeiso described the situation as “unthinkable” and stated that they would take their concerns to Britain’s Charity Commission, which oversees charities in England and Wales.
A spokesperson for the Charity Commission confirmed that it was “aware of concerns about the governance of Sentebale” and was “assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps.” Despite stepping down, Harry and Seeiso emphasized their lasting connection to the organization, stating, “While we will no longer be Patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care.”
Source: NBC News
