Prince Harry stepped down from an African charity he co-founded in honor of his late mother: ‘We are in shock that we have to do this’
Prince Harry announces he’s quit Sentebale amid infighting and other “unthinkable” challenges.
Prince Harry is a little more than over the drama surrounding his charity.
Amid ongoing drama and infighting among trustees and chairpeople, the Duke of Sussex has stepped down from Sentebale, the African charity he co-founded alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho almost 20 years ago, in honor of their late mothers. Prince Seeiso is also stepping down.
Established in 2006, Sentebale, which means “Forget me not” in Sesotho, the local language of Lesotho, was created to help vulnerable youth in southern African nations like Lesotho and Botswana who are, in particular, impacted by HIV and AIDS, poverty, and more. However, in the years since, things have become “unthinkable” behind the scenes.
“What’s transpired is unthinkable,” Harry and Seeiso said in a joint statement given to the British Press Association on Wednesday, per NBC News. “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.”
“Nearly 20 years ago, we founded Sentebale in honor of our mothers,” their statement continued. “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.”
Without naming her, the pair further cite a supposed breakdown in the relationship between the charity’s trustees and its chair, Dr. Sophie Chandauka. They are also encouraging her to step down while showing their support to others who have already done so.
“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,” they said. “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.”
In response, the chair has sued the charity “to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship,” their statement alleges.
Defending her position, Chandauka said in a statement Wednesday, per The Guardian, that Sentebale was “not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account,” adding that she must “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.
A spokesperson for the Charity Commission for England and Wales said in a statement per NBC that it was “aware of concerns about the governance of Sentebale.”
“We are assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps,” they said.
Sentebale was the only remaining obligation Harry maintained from his days before he stepped down as a professional member of the Royal family.
In the meantime, Harry and Seeiso said that while they 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.”
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