The Duke and Duchess of Sussex and Family, News and Events 10: August 2024 -

[Curryong]

Thank you for that clarification of the High Court injunction, Tatiana Maria. And why, one might ask, did the entire Board of Trustees, which includes Mark Dyer (Harry’s lifelong friend,) but NOT the Princes who are active Patrons, want the Chair’s resignation?

 

[HRHHermione]

Thank you for that clarification of the High Court injunction, Tatiana Maria. And why, one might ask, did the entire Board of Trustees, which includes Mark Dyer (Harry’s lifelong friend,) but NOT the Princes who are active Patrons, want this resignation?

I think the simple answer is “we don’t know and probably won’t for a while.”

 

[Somebody]

Whatever the ins and outs of this fighting in the boardroom and now out of it, this is undoubtedly a sad day for Harry and for Prince Seeiso, who, let’s not forget, co-founded Sentebale in memory of their dead mothers. They have both worked and donated to this charity for a very long time, since Harry was 19 in fact. They wouldn’t have resigned for nothing but they BOTH felt that it was impossible in the current circumstances for them to stay.

Why is Sophie describing herself in her statement as ‘a proud African’? Isn’t Prince Seeiso also a ‘proud African’? Surely she doesn’t have to bring her race into this debate.

Harry co-founded this charity with the very best of intentions and Sentebale has helped countless children and adults on the African continent with AIDS treatments, education and other issues.

I agree that it must be a sad day for both princes. It must be tough to symbolically resign (but not officially it seems) as a patron of the charity you founded - quite different from an organization you joined at a later point in time.

I hope the truth will come to light independent of the powerful positions some trustees may have (because unfortunately, in practice many people do defer to royals -or those that are considered their representatives- not necessarily because of their arguments but because if their status). So, it is an uphill fight for the chair, whether her arguments are fair or not.

 

[iceflower]

Could you please clarify the context? I haven't been following the news about this particular subject.

I haven't been online since that post, but thankfully our fellow members have been able to add further information in the meantime


Meanwhile the Duchess of Sussex is supporting the Alliance of Moms by wearing one of their t-shirts:

Meghan, Duchess of Sussex on Instagram: "Proudly supporting @allianceofmoms and the powerful work they do to support moms and their children Well done @_heartmom_, for your selfless love of so many — the world is better with you in it ❤️"

meghan on March 25, 2025: "Proudly supporting @allianceofmoms and the powerful work they do to support moms and their children Well done @_heartmom_, for your selfless love of so many — the world is better with you in it ❤️".

www.instagram.com

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

 

[soapstar]

Why is Sophie describing herself in her statement as ‘a proud African’? Isn’t Prince Seeiso also a ‘proud African’? Surely she doesn’t have to bring her race into this debate.

I don’t see anything wrong with her mentioning that she’s a proud African.

As far as bringing race into it, since she has accused the charity of misogynoir (hating Black women), her race is very much relevant to the debate.

The allegations she’s made against the charity are pretty serious. Whatever happened (or didn’t), I hope the truth comes out.

 

[EvaH]

From the Guardian and the Sun:

Prince Harry resigns ‘in shock’ from African charity he founded in 2006

Duke of Sussex and co-founder of Sentebale step down as patrons amid infighting in the organisation

www.theguardian.com

Boss of Harry's charity hits out at 'racism, bullying & misogyny' after he QUIT

THE boss of Prince Harry’s charity has hit out with bombshell allegations of racism, bullying and misogyny. The Duke of Sussex, 40, set up African charity Sentebale in 2006 in memory of his m…

www.thesun.co.uk

Sophie Chandauka's full statement​

Sophie Chandauka MBE told The Sun: "I chose to join Sentebale first and foremost as a proud African who understands that, in the spirit of ubuntu: to whom much is given, much is expected.
"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.
"Discerning readers will ask themselves: why would the Chair of the Board report her own Trustees to the Charity Commission?
"Why would the High Court of England and Wales hear her case and issue an emergency injunction to prevent the same Trustees from removing her as the Chair of the Board?
"Well, because 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.
"I have one job. I must focus on fundraising for the very important work of the young people who inspire the incredible team at Sentebale who make sacrifices daily at a time when geopolitics is severely impacting funding for development work in Africa.
"For me, this is not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account.
"I am an African who has had the privilege of a worldclass education and career. I will not be intimidated.
"I must stand for something. I stand for those other women who do not have the ways and means.
"I am indebted to those who have stood by me and picked up my urgent call for help so that we can continue the mission at Sentebale.
"I will continue to faithfully perform my role as Chair of the Board, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with others who are interested in issues of health, wealth and climate resilience for young people in Africa."

Interesting statement.

Curiously, the princes said '...With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as patrons of the organisation until further notice,...', did not in fact publish their statements or send their resignation to the charity, instead they shared it with the Times to syndicate, almost as if they want to control the court of public opinion rather than just resigning and walking away if that's what they want to do.

I've never heard off the concept of 'resigning until further notice' except that was meant to be an intimidation tactic? If so, It seems to be an abject failure. Sophie is no lightweight (see her wikipedia link below) and appears ready to clean house.

Will be interesting to see how this plays out.

Sophie Chandauka - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

In professional African black woman with a degree this means "they are pushing me out because they do not like that I am educated, serious about my work and mission and not phased by their perceived power".

Given Harry's track record and lack of attention to details and understanding of many things, I am pretty sure she is right. I assume the board of trustees are merely siding with him because of who he is, as a founder and son of The King.

 

[Hallo girl]

Thank you for that clarification of the High Court injunction, Tatiana Maria. And why, one might ask, did the entire Board of Trustees, which includes Mark Dyer (Harry’s lifelong friend,) but NOT the Princes who are active Patrons, want the Chair’s resignation?

With all due respect what difference does Mark Dyer make, other than a long life friend of Harry. It doesn't matter who resigned, they all did. They wanted her out for whatever reason and she is not standing by , she is fighting back.
We have no idea why . at the moment anyway. I would have thought they liked what she had to say when they gave her the job, they obviously do not like what she is trying to do.
Let us wait and see what happens next. Once all the facts are available.

Whatever the ins and outs of this fighting in the boardroom and now out of it, this is undoubtedly a sad day for Harry and for Prince Seeiso, who, let’s not forget, co-founded Sentebale in memory of their dead mothers. They have both worked and donated to this charity for a very long time, since Harry was 19 in fact. They wouldn’t have resigned for nothing but they BOTH felt that it was impossible in the current circumstances for them to stay.

Why is Sophie describing herself in her statement as ‘a proud African’? Isn’t Prince Seeiso also a ‘proud African’? Surely she doesn’t have to bring her race into this debate.

Harry co-founded this charity with the very best of intentions and Sentebale has helped countless children and adults on the African continent with AIDS treatments, education and other issues.

Who do these "Influencers" actually influence? I can't imagine making a purchase because some so-called influencer recommended it, but I suppose they are successful, or there wouldn't be so many of them.

Anyway, Meghan seems increasingly desperate, throwing everything out there to see what sticks.

I must admit an influencer would not make me buy something ( probably couldn't afford it ) but I cannot say that I have not looked something up after I have seen something on the TV, I do not do instagram stuff. So yes there will be people who will like what Meghan wears and will buy it, it comes down to where the market lies for her. Is Meghan turning into ' Del Boy ' .

 

[muriel]

Is Meghan turning into ' Del Boy ' .

The model seems to be to sell other people's clothes for a commission, or for a fee. So yes, to some extent, Meghan is now a sales agent. A slightly different place from where she was for about 18 months, from May 2018 onwards!

 

[shady lady]

... Is Meghan turning into ' Del Boy ' .

Don't be giving her ideas...next it will be Californian tap water sold as "Montecito Spring"!!!

 

[Hallo girl]

Don't be giving her ideas...next it will be Californian tap water sold as "Montecito

Classic

 

[Ghost]

She just did a story to kill the rumours of a rift with Gwyneth.

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

 

[Hallo girl]

Whatever the ins and outs of this fighting in the boardroom and now out of it, this is undoubtedly a sad day for Harry and for Prince Seeiso, who, let’s not forget, co-founded Sentebale in memory of their dead mothers. They have both worked and donated to this charity for a very long time, since Harry was 19 in fact. They wouldn’t have resigned for nothing but they BOTH felt that it was impossible in the current circumstances for them to stay.

Why is Sophie describing herself in her statement as ‘a proud African’? Isn’t Prince Seeiso also a ‘proud African’? Surely she doesn’t have to bring her race into this debate.

Harry co-founded this charity with the very best of intentions and Sentebale has helped countless children and adults on the African continent with AIDS treatments, education and other issues.

That is all correct, could I ask what is wrong with calling herself a proud African, I do not understand your context . I am sure everybody on here is proud of their country not always their government but that can be changed.

 

[Mbruno]

I don’t see anything wrong with her mentioning that she’s a proud African.

As far as bringing race into it, since she has accused the charity of misogynoir (hating Black women), her race is very much relevant to the debate.

The allegations she’s made against the charity are pretty serious. Whatever happened (or didn’t), I hope the truth comes out.

There is a little bit more information on the BBC News site today.

Apparently the chair reported the board of trustees to the UK Charity Commission for "abuse of power" and "harassment". Prince Harry says he is resigning "in solidarity with the board of trustees".

We don't know the facts, but, if the board is indeed in the wrong as the chairwoman claims, it could be potentially embarassing for Prince Harry, as he appears to have sided with the trustees.

These quotes from the chair are quite interesting, although we should take them with caution as they are only one side of the story (I understand the other side disputes this interpretation of the facts).

"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 added.

This, she said, was 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".

 

[EvaH]

And I saw that a new board of trustees was already appointed so she did her job well.
As a lawyer, I am 100% sure she wouldn't use the law without making sure she has grounds to do so. Furthermore, instead of resigning to her, this letter was shared letter with The Times. A Sentebale spoke person said they were not aware. That's quite low of Harry but he did the same with his own family for the half in/half out and didn't give any notice.

 

[Rael]

There is a little bit more information on the BBC News site today.

Apparently the chair reported the board of trustees to the UK Charity Commission for "abuse of power" and "harassment". Prince Harry says he is resigning "in solidarity with the board of trustees".

We don't know the facts, but, if the board is indeed in the wrong as the chairwoman claims, it could be potentially embarassing for Prince Harry, as he appears to have sided with the trustees.

These quotes from the chair are quite interesting, although we should take them with caution as they are only one side of the story (I understand the other side disputes this interpretation of the facts).

Agreed on taking her statement with caution.

I too thought her statement was interesting but while it is just her view, it is noteworthy that Harry and the other trustees first syndicated their view knowing they can control the narrative with Harry's profile. It was an intimidation tactic that backfired. I find it sketchy that they didn't publish their statement nor send their resignation notices to the charity. They went straight to the Times who framed the issue positively for Harry and the other trustees. She obviously moved quickly, formed a new Board then provided her statement to the Sun and the Guardian. I don't think that what was Harry and the other Trustees were expecting. They first provided their side and she has countered with her own version.

I'm team no one till all the facts are revealed. Even then, not really my cup of tea. Still, I'm enjoying a group of powerful old boy network cronies being outsmarted by a strong, capable and accomplished woman who is not prepared to take any crap from them or be cowed by 'royalty'. Harry and his mates are getting a taste of what an 'empowered woman with a voice' can do. The very constituents he claims to be committed to championing.

 

[Mbruno]

Agreed on taking her statement with caution.

I too thought her statement was interesting but while it is just her view, it is noteworthy that Harry and the other trustees first syndicated their view knowing they can control the narrative with Harry's profile. It was an intimidation tactic that backfired. I find it sketchy that they didn't publish their statement nor send their resignation notices to the charity. They went straight to the Times who framed the issue positively for Harry and the other trustees. She obviously moved quickly, formed a new Board then provided her statement to the Sun and the Guardian. I don't think that what was Harry and the other Trustees were expecting. They first provided their side and she has countered with her own version.

I'm team no one till all the facts are revealed. Even then, not really my cup of tea. Still, I'm enjoying a group of powerful old boy network cronies being outsmarted by a strong, capable and accomplished woman who is not prepared to take any crap from them or be cowed by 'royalty'. Harry and his mates are getting a taste of what an 'empowered woman with a voice' can do. The very constituents he claims to be committed to championing.

I agree on waiting on the full facts before passing judgment, but, from a purely PR point of view, it might look really bad for Harry to side with his rich white friends against an accomplished African woman. And that could potentially spill over to Meghan too if she backs Harry.

 

[Alison H]

Just to be pedantic , it's the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own.

 

[Mbruno]

Just to be pedantic , it's the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own.

The BBC called them the "UK Charity Commission", see the link. I guess their professional standards are no longer what they used to be!

 

[Durham]

Classic

Don't be giving her ideas...next it will be Californian tap water sold as "Montecito Spring"!!!

Au contraire, it would be Eau de la Riviera Américaine.

 

[Durham]

The BBC called them the "UK Charity Commission", see the link. I guess their professional standards are no longer what they used to be!

The BBC is in a long slow decline. They often refer to The King as "king Charles". As if there was more than one king in Britain & we need to differentiate between them.

It's a not so subtle reflection of a lack of respect for the monarchy from some quarters at the Beeb. They seldom referred to the late queen as queen Elizabeth. It was just The Queen.

 

[yukari]

A very scathing message.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1904903988681859466

 

[yukari]

Accusations and resignations mark remarkable 24 hours at charity founded by Prince Harry

(...)
According to one account, the charity survived the financial fallout of the Covid pandemic largely thanks to a pro bono performance by the pop star James Blunt, who was previously an army officer in the Household cavalry, at the Cotswold home of the previous chair, Johnny Hornby.

Chandauka “wanted to do it differently”, said a source. It is understood that a decision was made to hire the “women-led strategy firm” Lebec at a significant cost. This led to a shift of the charity’s leadership away from London to southern Africa. Fundraising efforts would also now be focused more on the west coast of the US than the shires, according to one source.

(...)

The problem for Sentebale, according to one insider, was that the strategy did not elicit the major donations that had been foreseen.

“They got back, and I think the story was because Donald Trump’s come these donors aren’t as interested as we thought,” a source said. “I think the trustees then started moving towards thinking she should stand down.”

Chandauka then “sued the charity to remain” in her “voluntary position”, according to a statement from Harry’s spokesperson.

(...)

What a mess. Surely both sides could have handled this more professionally instead of this media war because in the end, it's the charity (and whoever they potentially can help) who will suffer.

 

[HRHHermione]

I really will be curious to see what comes of all of this. The Guardian article made an interesting point that Sentebale relied heavily on polo matches and fundraising from the type of people inclined to give to Royal-associated charities. That funding path probably got less viable after Harry left being a working member of the royal family and became so publicly estranged, so a shift to fundraising on the west coast from technology companies probably did seem like the right path forward for a time. Harry was based there and working, theoretically, for a technology company.

The interest/deep backing didn’t come though, and blame started to go around, creating some acrimonious working relationships. That’s at least what I’m getting out of the story so far, without more detail available.

 

[FigTree]

Maybe time to move it entirely within Southern Africa and do away with the funding model as was, which isn't sustainable once it wasn't a 'royal' charity. The 'white saviour' is surely problematic anyway. Change is the only common thread in life. It will happen to Invictus as well. It will need to be handed over and evolve. We all need too.

Keeping it going by asking a mate to do a concert and inviting all your rich mates to give money to go to it is not the way to run a charity. It's almost treating it like a pet project.

 

[Alison H]

Point taken, but there are a lot of charities out there, and they're all supporting good causes but there's only so much money that the man or woman in the street can afford to give. It's very difficult to raise large amounts unless you can either get government funding, stage big events, or open charity shops.

And, yes, you would think that an internal dispute could have been settled without involving the Charity Commission and the press. Whistleblowing to the Charity Commission usually involves misuse of funds, not something that's effectively an HR issue.

 

[Hallo girl]

Point taken, but there are a lot of charities out there, and they're all supporting good causes but there's only so much money that the man or woman in the street can afford to give. It's very difficult to raise large amounts unless you can either get government funding, stage big events, or open charity shops.

And, yes, you would think that an internal dispute could have been settled without involving the Charity Commission and the press. Whistleblowing to the Charity Commission usually involves misuse of funds, not something that's effectively an HR issue.

I would agree, the stories being drip fed are that the trustees did not agree with the chairs methods, surely that is what a board is all about, discussion , bouncing ideas, maybe even try something different, then finding mutual ground.
The days of the 'toffs' giving up a day to play polo, make a donation then write it off as a charity donation have all gone. I think that was alright in the early days to get it up and running, and probably still has a place for an injection of cash every so often, but fund raising for charities is a professional game now. They need really big bucks all of the time. a guaranteed income stream for an agreed amount of time.

 

[Mbruno]

Point taken, but there are a lot of charities out there, and they're all supporting good causes but there's only so much money that the man or woman in the street can afford to give. It's very difficult to raise large amounts unless you can either get government funding, stage big events, or open charity shops.

And, yes, you would think that an internal dispute could have been settled without involving the Charity Commission and the press. Whistleblowing to the Charity Commission usually involves misuse of funds, not something that's effectively an HR issue.

There may be more than an HR issue, or else the Charity Commission would have simply dismissed the complaint and the trustees would not have stepped down.

 

[moby]

Keeping it going by asking a mate to do a concert and inviting all your rich mates to give money to go to it is not the way to run a charity. It's almost treating it like a pet project.

Or a "vanity project" as Sophie called it.

 

[EvaH]

Accusations and resignations mark remarkable 24 hours at charity founded by Prince Harry



What a mess. Surely both sides could have handled this more professionally instead of this media war because in the end, it's the charity (and whoever they potentially can help) who will suffer.

Media war initiated by Harry, Sophie was professional and used professional avenues to sort things out. No one knew anything about this before Harry tried to take her down very publicly. Reminds me of the whole Lively vs Baldoni issue. Harry knew very well what he was doing.

She is a high ranking executive at Meta whose voluntary unpaid and time consuming position is now causing massive headache and online bullying. She is very strong for not resigning but she has worked with Sentebale since 2008. What heartache this must cause!

 

[yukari]

The ‘racism’ legal threat that forced Harry to quit his charity

(...)

The Telegraph can now reveal that the board, including Army Captain Mark Dyer, who has long been a father figure to Prince Harry, stepped back in an attempt to save Sentebale from collapse as a result of huge legal bills. On Tuesday night, the Prince could barely contain his shock as he revealed he had resigned from his role as patron of the charity he co-founded, following an “unthinkable” breakdown in relations with Dr Chandauka.

(...)

The charity was plunged into chaos following Dr Chandauka’s arrival, sources claimed, as she took “a wrecking ball” to the organisation and “decimated” it beyond recognition. The board was aghast when their efforts to remove Dr Chandauka from her position resulted in her lodging a High Court claim against Sentebale earlier this month, and feared the mammoth cost of such action would prove its final nail in the coffin.

(...)

Crucially, however, Dr Chandauka had served on Sentebale’s board for six years from 2009 and so rejoined with an inbuilt, inherent understanding of the charity’s mission.

(...)

It was never quite explained why Johnny Hornby, Dr Chandauka’s predecessor, had suddenly quit after 11 years on the board, five of those as chairman. It was this shift of power that was the catalyst for the charity’s gradual implosion, sources claimed.

(...)

Then, last November came the first notable signs of trouble when Baroness Chalker, the former Conservative overseas development minister, who had been a trustee for 18 years, stepped down. Harry’s close friend Andrew Tucker, otherwise known as Tucks, quit his decade-long role as a consultant in the same month.

Then, in December, came the “strategic shift” that spelt the beginning of the end for Prince Harry and its long serving board. Sentebale announced its “first move” in its plan to restructure the organisation by locating its most senior leaders in southern Africa. Richard Miller, who had been its London-based chief executive for five years, appears to have been collateral damage, stepping down to make way for Carmel Gaillard, who is based in Johannesburg.

(...)

Something's fishy ...

So she's not really newbie since she's previously served on the board for 6 years and even before this mass resignations, couple of long-timers left Sentebale. I wonder, with her credential and experience surely this lady chairman wouldn't find it hard to snatch a new job if she's to leave Sentebale, so why would she need to sue? And then, if this is about different opinion of fundraising between one chairwoman and a group of trustees, it seems like a bit over the top that it leads to resignation of the whole trustee. Was it just an ego clash between one proud woman and bunch of privileged men or there's something bigger than opinion clash happening behind the scene?