British royal Prince Harry has resigned as the patron of Sentebale, the African charity he cofounded in memory of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, amid a leadership dispute between the chairwoman and the board.
The Duke of Sussex was joined by his friend and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, as well as the organization’s board of trustees, in exiting Sentebale, which they established in 2006.
“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,” the princes said in a joint statement. “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.”
The initial role of the charity, which both princes created to honor their late mothers, was to support children and young people affected by HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana and elsewhere in southern Africa. Last April, Sentebale announced it would expand its scope and reach to address general youth well-being, including health, wealth and climate resilience.
The resignations were prompted by a breakdown in relations between chairwoman Dr. Sophie Chandauka and the board of trustees. The board had questioned her qualifications for leading and had asked her to step down as chairwoman, as BBC News described. Instead, she sued, “underscoring the broken relationship,” the princes said.
Chandauka said she had reported alleged misconduct to Britain’s Charity Commission, calling it “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 and misogynoir.”
Sentebale is the Lesotho word for “forget-me-not,” the princes noted, thanking the trustees for their years of service and adding that they were “truly heartbroken,” calling the situation “unthinkable.”