The president of an African charity co-founded by Prince Harry accused the Royal of orchestrating a campaign of “harassment and intimidation” to try to force her to go out as she pushed back After his resignation from the organization earlier this week.
Sunday, Sophie ChandaukaTHE Sentebale chair, told Sky News that the Duke of Sussex was unleashed “The Sussex machine (PR)” on it when it has publicly resigned from the charitable organization as a Sentebale boss, an African charitable work which he co -founded almost 20 years ago to help young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana.
“The only reason for which I am here … It is because at one point on Tuesday, Prince Harry authorized the release of a new damaging to the outside world without informing me or my directors of countries, or my executive director,” said Chandauka at the point of sale.
“And can you imagine what this attack did for me, on me and the 540 individuals from the Sentebale organizations and their family?” She said, adding: “This is an example of harassment and large -scale intimidation.”
Chandauka described how the prince’s Netflix agreement interfered with a planned fundraising and how an incident with his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussexhas become a source of friction.
She told The Outlet that a collection of polo funds planned in Miami last year almost collapsed when Harry asked to bring a camera team that spun it for a Netflix series.
The cost of the place is skyrocketing when he became a commercial enterprise and they rushed to find another host, which Harry organized through his relations, she said.
Meghan’s surprise appearance during the event led to an embarrassing moment during the presentation of the trophy after the match, said Chandauka.
In a video that circulated on social networks, Chandauka tried to pose next to Harry while he was holding the trophy in one hand and had his others wrapped around Meghan. But the Duchess seemed to make a gesture that Chandauka moves further from Harry, forcing her to dodge under the silver cup to enter the photo.
The Duchess of Sussex presents the trophy to her husband, the Duke of Sussex after his team The Royal Salute Sentebale team beat the team of the Great Champions, in the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, for the benefit of Sentebale, at the USPA National Polo Center in Wellington, FLA .. Date of image: Friday April 12, 2024.
Yaroslav Sabitov / PA images via Getty Images
“The international press has captured this, and there have been a lot of discussions on the duchess and choreography on stage and if it should have been there and her treatment of me,” said Chandauka.
She said that she had rejected Harry’s request to publish a statement for Meghan’s support, because “we cannot be an extension of the Sussexes”. (Harry and Meghan refused to offer an official response to Sky News with regard to Chandauka’s statements.)
Earlier this week, The Duke of Sussex declared the reason for his resignation from the charity was due to a conflict between the members of the board of directors and Chandauka, the chairman of the board of directors who refused to resign and continued the charitable organization in order to maintain his post.
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Prince Seeiso, who co -founded the charity with Harry, and the board of directors also joined Harry to leave Sentebale after the breakdown of the relationship between the members of the board of directors and Chandauka.
Chandauka said she had reported the administrators of Sentebale At the charity commission, a government department of the United Kingdom which regulates philanthropic organizations and had filed documents before a British court to prevent its withdrawal.
In a press release, she made allegations of misconduct to the charitable organization without naming anyone.
“There are people in this world who behave as if they were above the law and mistreat people, then play the victim’s card and use the press even that they disdain to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct,” said Chandauka.
It is, she said, “the story of a woman who dared to denounce the questions of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, intimidation, harassment, misogyny and misogymoir-and the concealment that followed.”
Speaking with Sky News, Chandauka said Harry had interfered with his complaint for denunciation. “It is therefore a concealment, and the prince is involved,” she said.
Chanduaka also alleged that there was a significant drop in donors after Harry and Meghan had left official royal functions in January 2020 and finally settle in California.
The greatest risk for the charity was the “toxicity of the brand of its leader”, Chandauka told Financial Times.
Dr. Sophie Chandauka Mbe, President of Sentebale, Nacho Figueras, Sentebale ambassador and Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, co -founding Sentebale pattern, poses for a photo during the Sentebale Isps Handa Polo Cup on 12, 2023 in Singapore.
Matt Jelonk / Getty Images for Sentebale
Prince Harry co -founded Sentebale in memory of his deceased mother, Princess DianaWith Prince Seeiso du Lesotho in 2006 after spending time working in an orphanage at Lesotho during a sabbatical year.
In a joint declaration on March 26, the princes said: “What happened is unthinkable. We are in shock that we must do, but we have a continuous responsibility for the beneficiaries of Sentebale, so we will share all our concerns with the Charitable Commission on the way it was created. ”
“Nearly 20 years ago, we founded Sentebale in honor of our mothers. Sentebale means “forget me-not” in SSOTHO, the local language of Lesotho, and this is what we have always promised for young people that we served by this charity. Today is no different. “
“With Heavy Hearts, we have resigned from our roles of patrons of the organization until further notice, in support and solidarity with the board of directors which had to do the same,” they continued. “It is devastating that the relationship between the trustee of the charitable organization and the chairman of the board of directors was broken down, creating an untenable situation.”
“These trustees have acted in the best interest of the charity to ask the chair to resign while keeping the well-being of staff in mind. In turn, she continued the charitable organization to remain in this voluntary position, further stressing the broken relationship,” continued the declaration of princes.
Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso thanked the administrators for their “service over the years” and said they were “really the broken heart that they had to follow this act”.
“Although we are no longer customers, we will always be its founders and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in good care,” they concluded.
Bbc indicated that the charity committee said he was “aware of the concerns about governance” of Sentebale, which is registered in the United Kingdom
“We assess the problems to determine the appropriate regulatory steps,” added the Commission.
After Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso announced their resignation, Sentebale shared a declaration on social networks To let their subscribers know that “work continues because they deserve nothing less”.
“These are the incredible teams on the ground – our staff and our local partners – who give life to our mission every day, walking alongside the children and young people that we serve,” the declaration started.
“While trustees are essential for governance and regulations, and customers – in particular the founders – are an honor to have, it is people on the ground that advances work, whatever happens,” continued the press release. “Our commitment to supporting young people in southern Africa with better health, stronger livelihoods and climate resilience remains as strong as ever.”
– With files from the Associated Press