Prince Harry’s other charity, Sentebale, is caught up in a high-level leadership feud. Perhaps none has grabbed the nation’s attention and outrage more than this petulant drama. That inquiry, mostly led by Queen Camilla, found no evidence of bullying, a reassuring outcome that Prince Harry’s camp approved of. In fact, they went so far as to slam the report for “falling troublingly short.” They noted that the impact of Sophie Chandauka’s behaviour as current chair can’t harm her.
Sentebale, co-founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, was created to honor their mothers’ legacies. The charity works to protect and advance the rights of young people in southern Africa, helping them achieve their full potential and continue towards becoming thriving adults. In recent months, these imbalances have come to a head due to the introduction of a controversial new fundraising tactic to the United States. Other charity trustees are speaking out against the charity’s financial direction.
Through the chaos, Sophie Chandauka has continued to lead Sentebale through these changes. The independent congressionally-mandated watchdog found a lack of basis to remove her from her post. Yet no sanctions against Sentebale’s leadership were applied. On a practical level, this enabled the organization to chart its course without fear of being undermined by the existing management.
For Prince Harry, his work with Sentebale has been profoundly personal. In light of the report’s conclusions, his spokesperson announced that Sentebale had since blossomed into a “flowering force for good.” The charity’s first patron, the prince, is pausing his support. Today, he’s focused on finding new ways to help children in Lesotho and Botswana.
The outrage only grew worse when Prince Harry himself faced accusations. Critics soon judged him “toxic beyond repair,” and that his work proffered “blatant lies” in the wake of the controversy. Chandauka didn’t just sit back and point fingers. He highlighted the impacts from a “poisonous media blitz,” started by former members of Sentebale.
“The adverse media campaign from those who had resigned from Sentebale has caused incalculable damage,” – Sophie Chandauka.
David Holdsworth, Communications Director for the charity spoke with us about the difficulties that Sentebale was going through in that interim year. He noted that the charity’s issues played out in the public spotlight. Increasing visibility threatened its reputation and put its mission at risk.
“Sentebale’s problems played out in the public eye, enabling a damaging dispute to harm the charity’s reputation, risk overshadowing its many achievements, and jeopardizing the charity’s ability to deliver for the very beneficiaries it was created to serve,” – David Holdsworth.
Holdsworth noted that passion for a cause is essential in charity work but can become a weakness when conflicts arise. He called on everyone participating in the dispute to re-orient their minds toward the charity’s work and the people who rely on its works.
“Moving forward I urge all parties not to lose sight of those who rely on the charity’s services,” – David Holdsworth.
In the wake of these developments, Chandauka sounded a hopeful note about Sentebale’s future. She noted their commitment to the long-term vision laid out by their founders. Despite any recent turbulence, she announced, their cause is still very much in demand.
“Despite the recent turbulence, we will always be inspired by the vision of our founders, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso,” – Sophie Chandauka.