Prince Harry has officially stepped down as a patron of Sentebale, the British charity he co-founded to support young people affected by HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. The decision follows an internal dispute between the charity’s trustees and board chair, Sophie Chandauka, which the Duke of Sussex described as “devastating.”
Sentebale, which means “forget-me-not” in the Sesotho language, was established in 2006 by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in honor of the late Princess Diana. However, both founders, along with the board of trustees, have now exited the organization amid ongoing tensions with Chandauka, who has reported the trustees to Britain’s Charity Commission.
In a joint statement released on Wednesday, Harry and Seeiso expressed disappointment over the breakdown in leadership, saying, “It is devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation.”
The statement emphasized that the trustees acted in the best interests of the organization when they called for Chandauka to step down. However, Chandauka remains in her role, insisting, “There are people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat people, and then play the victim card… I will continue to perform my role.”
Despite their departure, Harry and Seeiso reaffirmed their commitment to Sentebale’s mission, stating, “Although we may no longer be patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care.”
Meanwhile, Sentebale itself has confirmed that it has not received formal resignations from its royal patrons.
Prince Harry, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and now resides in California with his wife Meghan and their two children, has remained actively involved in charitable work across Africa. His last known visit to Nigeria was in 2023.
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