Prince HarryThe resignation of his charity Sentebale triggered an independent investigation in the UK in a dispute with one of the group’s top officials.
March 2025, Harry and Prince Seso Lesotho both announced that they would resign after they initially established a nonprofit in 2002 to promote HIV/AIDS prevention and mental health support in the southern African country of Lesotho. The two princes claimed in a statement that they were resigning from Sentebale because they lost the “trust and confidence” of the president of the nonprofit organization, Dr. Sophie Chandauka.
Dr Chandauka’s dissatisfaction with Harry was publicly accused her of “harassment and bullying” in Sentebale’s decision. Both parties filed complaints with the British Charity Council (CC) and conducted a formal investigation into the behind-the-scenes drama of the nonprofit.
The CC investigation ended in August 2025, with Harry clearing of any misconduct and Dr Chandauka allowed to continue as Sentebale’s chairman. The report warns that Sentebale could face serious problems with its charitable viability because it “cannot resolve disputes internally.”
Keep scrolling to get a complete look at Sentebale’s history:
When was Sentebale established?
Harry was inspired to help the people of Lesotho as he spent the year in the gap. He announced that he has a long history Diana Concert Tribute event in July 2007. According to the prince, he hopes Sentebale continues his late mother’s estate Princess Dianaas a champion of HIV/AIDS prevention throughout Africa.
The group’s name “sentebale” translates sesotho into English as “forget me not”, so it uses flowers of the same name for marketing.
Sentebale’s first scandal
The group received a £1 million donation in 2007 as the earnings report found, but Sentebale faced scrutiny from charitable regulators but paid only £84,000 to charitable projects in Lesotho (instead, salary plus £190,000 in salary and additional office space fees and websites). The two princes participated in the overhaul of the executive team, so Sentebale was able to eventually increase the amount of direct assistance.
The second scandal broke out in 2021 and then–Prince Charles‘Personal Charity Fund, Prince Foundation, each foundation received donations from Saudi merchants Mahfouz Marei Mubarak Bin Mahfouz In exchange for royal honors and help secure British citizenship. According to reports guardian.
The government’s investigation found that representatives related to the Princes Foundation did work with Mahfouz to enter the royal family, although Charles and Harry were cleared of any wrongdoing.
Prince Seeiso and Harry in November 2024.
Images of Brian Otieno/getty sentebaleA spokesperson for Clarence House told people then. “It is important for his Royal Highness to be the highest standards in accordance with the rules set by the charity regulators. We are taking this opportunity to strengthen guidance on these charities, especially in relation to their supporters.”
Harry’s spokesman insisted that the Duke of Sussex was not “uninformed or involved” with what he called the “CBE scandal.”
His representative said: “The Duke and his consultant and his nonprofit Sentebale cut off relations with Mahfouz and his colleagues in 2015, no longer accepts further donations to Sentebale and stops any plans for the fundraising campaign as he is growing concern about his motivation for his support.”
Sentebale’s crash
Harry and Seeiso issued a joint statement in March 2025 announcing that they will resign from the resignation of the Sentebale trustee. Sky News The report said the prince and Stenebale Chairman Dr Chandauka had significant differences on U.S. funding and the impact of Covid-19-19 on nonprofit fundraising activities.
“It’s devastating that the relationship between the trustees of the charity and the chairman of the board was broken and irreparable, creating an incredible situation,” the prince said. “What happened is unimaginable. … [We are] Shockingly, we have to do it. ”
It was reported that before resigning, Harry and Sisso encouraged Dr Chandauka to resign in order to provide Sentebale with a new leadership. Dr Chandauka rejected their needs and issued a provocative statement renamed himself as the whistleblower.
A former trustee said the decision to withdraw from Sentebale was “ripped”. On Thursday, March 27, Dr. Kelello Lerotholi, one of the charity’s trustees, spoke to The London Times. […]
“Some people in this world act like they are above the law and abuse, and then play victim cards and use their dismissive media to hurt those who have the courage to challenge their behavior,” she said.
Her statement continues: “Under the narratives of all victims and fictional media, the story of the Media Joint Organization is a woman who dares to whistle poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, harassment, misogynistic, misogynistic, misogynistic women, and subsequent cover-up.”
Dr Chandauka later appeared in the bombshell Sky News In the interview, she accused Harry and his team of arranging her “harassment and bullying” campaign. She claims the Duke of Sussex team released “destructive news to the outside world without notice” [her] or my national director, or my executive director. ”
Both Harry and Dr. Chanduka complained to the CC, prompting the moral investigation into Stenebale to begin in 2025.
What has the investigation found?
On August 5, the final report of the CC brought victory to both sides, a slap on the wrist. According to the bullying charge, Harry was cleared of any misconduct and Dr Chandauka was allowed to retain his job as Sentebale Chairman. US Weekly.
However, the CC report does condemn “all parties” for engaging in “acts that seriously affect the reputation of charities.” CC investigators warn that the two parties “had the potential to undermine public trust in charities more generally” unless they can resolve disputes.
A spokesperson for Harry told us This is, although the CC representative Royal determined that “there is no discovery of wrongdoing”, its report “is in many ways in trouble”.
“Sentebale has been a deeply personal and transformative mission of Prince Harry, which aims to serve the most vulnerable children in Lesotho and Botswana. For 19 years, its dedicated staff and staunch supporters have provided important care to more than 100,000 young people throughout Africa, including HIV/AIDS/AIDS and mentally healthy young people who face mental health and mental challenges.”
The statement continued, “As custodians of this once brilliant charity, Prince Seeiso, Prince Harry and the former Board of Trustees helped grow Sentebale from the seed of an idea to — like its namesake — a flowering force for good. With the original mission of Sentebale firmly in mind—and in honor of the legacy he and Prince Seeiso began—The Duke of Sussex will now focus on finding new ways to continue supporting the children of Lesotho and Botswana.”
After Prince Harry left the Sentinel, drama followed, which included a brother who falsely claimed to be Prince Ceriso, the co-founder of Lesotho. After the man’s inaccurate claims made headlines, Us Weekly learned that Chief Chief Khoabane Theko was not Seeiso’s brother and had nothing to do with the charity. In the allegation, Theko claims […]
Dr Chandauka has issued her own statement to various stores, and she insists that Sentebale “survived” its very public leadership struggle and is now “managed better”.
She added: “Despite the recent turmoil, we will always be inspired by the visions of founders Prince Harry and Prince Sisso, who established the sentebale to honor their precious mother, Princess Diana and Queen Mamohato.”
