Prince Harry has come under fire following accusations of "harassment and bullying" made by Dr Sophie Chandauka, the trustee chair of Sentebale.
However, a source close to the Duke of Sussex has strongly dismissed the claims, describing them as a "deflection."
Sentebale, the charity Harry co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006, was established to support vulnerable children and young people in southern Africa, particularly those affected by HIV and AIDS.
Last week, Harry announced his decision to step down as the organisation’s patron, a move he said was in honour of his late mother, Princess Diana’s humanitarian work.
In an interview with Sky News, Dr Chandauka alleged that Harry’s departure from royal life in 2020 had tarnished his reputation, causing donors to withdraw support.
She further claimed that after attempting to introduce reforms, she faced harassment and bullying at scale from what she described as 'the Sussex machine".
Responding to these allegations, a source close to Harry dismissed them outright, insisting that his resignation, along with those of several trustees, was "a direct result of the chair's mismanagement" rather than any wrongdoing on his part.
Dr Chandauka justified her public statements, telling Sky News, "The only reason" she gave the interview was because "Prince Harry authorised the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world without informing me or my country directors, or my executive director."
She added, "And can you imagine what that attack has done for me, on me and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organisations and their family? That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale."
She also criticised what she referred to as the "toxicity" of the Sussex brand, alleging that Harry attempted to force her out of the charity through intimidation tactics.
Additionally, she claimed Meghan Markle's unexpected attendance at a charity polo event, alongside tennis star Serena Williams, caused logistical disruptions.
"We would have been really excited had we known ahead of time, but we didn't. And so the choreography went badly on stage because we had too many people on stage," she told Sky News.
The controversy has sparked intense debate, with supporters of the Duke of Sussex refuting the allegations and calling attention to the chair’s handling of the charity.
As the fallout continues, Sentebale’s future leadership and direction remain uncertain.
IOL Entertainment