Duke of Sussex quits as patron of African charity he founded in 2006

The Duke of Sussex has quit as patron of a charity in Africa he set up in honour of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, amid a boardroom battle within the organisation.

Harry founded charity Sentebale in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help young people and children in southern Africa, particularly those living with HIV and Aids.

But several trustees have left the organisation in a dispute with the chairwoman of the board, Dr Sophie Chandauka, having requested her resignation.

According to the Times, the dispute arose around a decision to focus fundraising in Africa.

In a joint statement, the duke and Prince Seeiso backed the departing trustees and said they had resigned as patrons until further notice.

They said: “Nearly 20 years ago, we founded Sentebale in honour of our mothers. 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. With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as Patrons of the organisation until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same.

“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, Dr Chandauka appeared to criticise the duke for going to the press and “playing the victim card”.

She said in a statement: “Everything I do at Sentebale is in pursuit of the integrity of the organisation, its mission, and the young people we serve.

“My actions are guided by the principles of fairness and equitable treatment for all, regardless of social status or financial means. There are people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat people, and then play the victim card and use the very press they disdain to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct.”

She also claimed she had reported trustees to the Charity Commission and that the High Court had issued an emergency injunction to prevent her removal.

She added: “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. I could be anyone. I just happen to be an educated woman who understands that the law will guide and protect me.

“I will say nothing further on this matter at this time.”

Harry spent two months in the kingdom of Lesotho during his gap year when he was 19 in 2004, which inspired him to establish the charity two years later, which now also works in Botswana.

He came face-to-face with Aids orphans, met other traumatised young people and visited herd boys living a harsh existence looking after cattle in remote mountain areas.

The duke visited Lesotho and the prince as recently as last October, where he talked to a group of young people around a campfire about the “massive difference” Sentebale was making.

He was also pictured with Dr Chandauka at a charity polo event in Florida in April 2024 to benefit Sentebale.

Former trustees Timothy Boucher, Mark Dyer, Audrey Kgosidintsi, Dr Kelello Lerotholi, and Damian West also released a statement saying their decision to resign was “devastating” but was the “result of our loss in trust and confidence in the chair of the board”.

The statement said: “We are deeply proud to have supported the visionary work of the Founding Patrons Prince Seeiso and Prince Harry, who founded Sentebale in memory of their mothers.

“For two decades, Sentebale has championed hundreds of thousands of children and young people, providing them with care, training and life skills, which not only benefit each individual child they support, but their families and their communities as a whole.

“Today’s decision is nothing short of devastating for all of us, but we see no other path forward as the result of our loss in trust and confidence in the chair of the board.

“Our priority has always been, and will always be, what’s in the best interest of the charity, and it’s desperately sad the breakdown in relationship escalated to a lawsuit by the chair against the charity, to block us from voting her out after our request for her resignation was rejected.

“We could not in good conscience allow Sentebale to undertake that legal and financial burden and have been left with no other option but to vacate our positions. This was not a choice willingly made, but rather something we felt forced into in order to look after the charity.”

The duke and Prince Seeiso, who are understood to have resigned at the same time as the trustees, said they would be “sharing concerns” with the Charity Commission.

They added: “These trustees acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down, while keeping the wellbeing of staff in mind. In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship.

“We thank all the trustees for their service over the years and are truly heartbroken they’ve had to follow through with this act.

“What’s transpired is unthinkable. 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.

“Although we may 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.”

Sentebale said it had not received resignations from either of the royal patrons and said the “recalibration of the board is part of Sentebale’s ambitious transformation agenda”.

In a statement, a spokesperson said: “We are pleased to confirm the restructuring of our Board on 25 March 2025 to introduce experts with the capabilities and networks to accelerate Sentebale’s transformation agenda as announced last year.

“In April 2024, Sentebale signalled its evolution from a development organisation focused on addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS on the lives of children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana, to one that is addressing issues of youth health, wealth and climate resilience in Southern Africa.”

Harry’s role at Sentebale was one of a small number of private patronages he retained after he was stripped of his royal patronages and honorary military positions by the late Queen in 2021 after his departure from the working monarchy was confirmed for good a year after Megxit.

The Charity Commission said it was “aware of concerns about the governance” of Sentebale.

“We are assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps,” the commission said in a statement.