UK’s Prince Harry, the Duke of Essex, has resigned as patron of a charity he co-founded in Africa, due to “infighting” in the trust which runs it, saying in a statement he was “shocked.”
Harry established Senthebale with Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso in 2006. Seeiso, too, resigned as patron.
The duo will be away from the charity “until further notice.”
The princes said in a joint statement, “What’s transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale’s beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about.”
A spokesperson for the charity said it was yet to receive resignations from either royal patron.
Dispute over fundraising in Africa
According to reports, there was a dispute around a decision to focus Sentebale’s fundraising in Africa, between the charity’s trustees and the chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, a Zimbabwean lawyer who was appointed in 2023.
The trustees, who resigned in protest against Chandauka, acted “in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down,” princes Harry and Seeiso noted in their statement.
“We thank them for their service over the years and are truly heartbroken they’ve had to follow through with this act,” it read.
The trustees who quit are Timothy Boucher, Mark Dyer, Audrey Kgosidintsi, Kelello Lerotholi and Damian West. They released a joint statement announcing their unanimous decision, which they called “devastating.”
In response, Chanduka said “some people” thought “they are above the law.”
“Everything I do here 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,” she stated.
About Sentebale
Sentebale, which means “Forget me not”, wasestablished by Harry in honour of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, after visiting the Lesotho during his gap year.
It was created to help people in Lesotho and Botswana living in poverty and those suffering from HIV and Aids.
