Prince Harry faces bullying and harassment allegations
In a Sky News interview, Sophie Chandauka, the chairperson of Sentebale, alleged on March 30th that Prince Harry led a campaign of bullying and harassment against her, Rédaction Africanews via AP reported.
The allegations arose following Prince Harry’s announcement of his departure as patron of the charity, which he had co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.
Prince Harry cited the deterioration in the relations between Chandauka and board members as the reason for his departure.
Chandauka said that Prince Harry’s Netflix deal disrupted a fundraiser and that an incident with Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, created tension.
In a joint statement with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, he expressed regret over the decision, but said that their departure was meant to support the trustees amid their row with Chandauka.
The statement also noted that Chandauka had initiated legal action to maintain her position, which the princes’ claim underscored the breakdown of the relationship between her and the charity’s trustees.
She has reported the charity’s trustees to the UK Charity Commission and filed court documents to block her removal.
In her filings, she accuses the leadership of systemic misconduct, alleging abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir—the discrimination Black women face at the intersection of racism and sexism.
She claims Harry’s resignation was “an example of harassment and bullying at scale” and said that he interfered with her whistleblower complaint.
She also noted a decline in donor support since Harry and Meghan stepped back from royal duties in January 2020 and moved to California. She said in an interview with the Financial Times that the biggest threat to Sentebale is the “toxicity of its lead patron’s brand.”
Sentebale has expanded to focus on youth health, financial stability, and climate resilience in southern Africa.
She said that a Miami polo fundraiser last year nearly fell through when Harry requested to bring a camera crew along that was filming him for a Netflix series on Polo.
This turned the event into a commercial project, raising the venue cost.
Rédaction Africanews via AP
