Fresh crisis for Prince Harry as charity boss ‘bullying’ row escalates with official investigation launched
A WATCHDOG has escalated its investigations into “concerns raised” about a charity founded by Prince Harry, amid a boardroom battle within the organisation.
The Charity Commission said it had opened a regulatory compliance case into Sentebale, a week after it emerged Harry had quit as patron – with the CEO accusing him of “harassment and bullying at scale”.
The royal founded the organisation in honour of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help young people and children in southern Africa, particularly those living with HIV and Aids.
Last week it emerged that several trustees had left the charity in a dispute with its chairwoman, Sophie Chandauka, having requested her resignation.
Harry and Prince Seeiso backed the departing trustees and announced they had resigned as patrons until further notice.
They said their resignations came “with heavy hearts”, adding that it was “devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation”.
Ms Chandauka issued a statement in which she alleged there had been “poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir”.
She also appeared to criticise Harry for going to the press and for what she described as playing “the victim card”.
The commission said it had informed the charity on Wednesday that it had “opened a regulatory compliance case to examine concerns raised about the charity”.
This allows the watchdog to “gather evidence and assess the compliance of the charity and trustees past and present with their legal duties” and responsibilities under charity law.
It is not the same as a statutory inquiry.
The commission, which said the decision to open a case came after assessing initial concerns raised, said it is in “direct contact with parties who have raised concerns”.
Regulatory compliance cases can lead to a range of outcomes including an official warning being given to a charity or a statutory inquiry being opened, which can give the commission additional powers of investigation.
It comes after a source close to the charity’s trustees yesterday accused Ms Chandauka of using the “race card” to win arguments.
They told The Daily Telegraph: “As soon as anyone turns against her, she brings the race card in and she comes for you.
“She’s a very poisonous woman and it’s very sad it’s come to this.”
The source also said Dr Chandauka allegedly accused the trustees of bullying when challenged over losing a major sponsor.
The dispute is said to have centred on the annual Sentebale polo cup, which is a key fundraising event for the charity.
What is Sentebale?
Sentebale was set up to support those living in poverty, as well as those suffering from Aids and HIV, in Lesotho.
Prince Harry started the charity in honour of his mum, Princess Diana, who died in 1997.
He met his co-founder Prince Seeiso while on his gap year in 2004.
The word Sentebale means “forget-me-not” in Sesotho, the local language of Lesotho.
Royal biographer Hugo Vickers told The Sun: “The whole situation is obviously very toxic and very difficult.”
It’s understood at least part of the row was sparked by Ms Chandauka’s push for the charity’s fundraising to be moved to Africa.
Mr Vickers said she is “using every possible bit of ammunition because she’s been pushed out and is obviously very upset”.
He went on to say, while not devaluing Dr Chandauka’s personal experience of feeling she’s been targeted in such a way: “It seems to me that that is one of the cards that people do play when they’re in trouble.
“Meghan Markle herself has played this card once or twice rather prominently.”
Fellow royal author Ingrid Seward told The Sun earlier this week: “I’m absolutely certain that Harry had no idea this was going to blow up in the way that it has, and it would be the last thing that he wanted.
“He’s very, very distressed about the whole thing.”
Ms Seward said the royal has a “huge emotional investment” in the charity, with it having been set up in his mum Princess Diana’s memory.
“I think he’s gained a lot of public sympathy over this, because it’s quite difficult to understand who said what and why this has happened. So people just feel sorry for Harry…” she continued.
“He is the founder of the charity, no one can take that away from him, but I think he’s floundering in very deep waters here.
“I don’t think that Mrs Chandauka is going to let this go, and I think this will go on and on until there is some kind of resolve… She is saying, ‘you can’t get rid of me’.”