Prince Harry Faces Allegations of Bullying from Charity Chairwoman
In a recent series of interviews, Dr. Sophie Chandauka, chairwoman of Sentebale, has made serious allegations against Prince Harry, claiming he engaged in “harassment and bullying at scale.” This conflict arises following the Duke of Sussex’s announcement about stepping down from the charity he co-founded in 2006.
Background on Sentebale
Sentebale was established as a tribute to Harry’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, and focuses on assisting individuals in Southern Africa affected by HIV and AIDS. Following his departure, both he and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho released a statement indicating a substantial breakdown in their relationship with Chandauka, noting that it had become “broke down beyond repair.” They had previously requested her resignation, which she declined, further complicating the situation by threatening legal action.
Chandauka’s Response and Allegations
In the aftermath of Prince Harry’s exit, Dr. Chandauka conducted interviews to present her perspective. She accused the Duke of orchestrating a relentless campaign of bullying to force her resignation. Chandauka claimed this was an attempt to silence her whistleblower complaint that contained serious allegations of “abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir.”
“So it’s a cover-up, and the prince is involved,” she told Sky News.
In a separate discussion with the Financial Times, Chandauka described the initial tensions with Harry that had begun to escalate over the past year. She recounted an instance where the Sussexes’ public relations team requested her support for Meghan Markle during a time of negative press, which she declined, emphasizing that her role should not align with the Sussexes’ PR efforts.
Concerns About Brand Toxicity
Chandauka expressed her belief that the primary risk to the organization stemmed from the damaging perceptions associated with its prominent patron. She commented, “The number-one risk for this organization was the toxicity of its lead patron’s brand.”
Sentebale Trustees’ Position
As the situation unfolded, five of Sentebale’s trustees chose to resign alongside Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, attributing the strained circumstances to Dr. Chandauka. They expressed a lack of trust in her leadership while noting that her potential legal actions hindered their ability to remove her from the chairwoman position.
