Prince Harry has been accused of “harassment and bullying at scale” by Sophie Chandauka, the chair of Sentebale, following his abrupt resignation from the charity he co-founded to support young people affected by HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana.
Harry, along with co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho and the board of trustees, stepped down this week after a dispute with Chandauka, who described the fallout as “devastating.”
In an interview with Sky News set to air in full on Sunday, Chandauka criticized the manner in which Harry resigned, saying: “At some point on Tuesday, Prince Harry authorized the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world without informing me, my country directors, or my executive director.”
“And can you imagine what that attack has done to me, on me, and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organization and their families?” she added. “That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale.”
Harry and Meghan’s representatives have not responded to requests for comment. Sky News reported that the couple declined to offer a formal response.
A source close to the charity’s trustees and patrons, including Harry, dismissed the allegations as a “publicity stunt” and said the decision to resign was made with full awareness of potential fallout.
Harry and Seeiso described the rift with Chandauka as irreparable, stating on Wednesday that it was “devastating” the relationship had broken down.
Chandauka has previously raised concerns about Sentebale’s governance, citing “poor executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir.”
In a separate interview with the Financial Times, she claimed Harry’s team asked her to shield Meghan from negative press coverage, a request she refused. She also criticized Sentebale’s leadership structure, arguing it was outdated in a “post-Black Lives Matter world” and that funders were demanding more locally-led initiatives.
Harry and Seeiso defended their decision, saying the board acted in the charity’s best interests by asking Chandauka to step down, but that she instead pursued legal action to remain in her position.
