Prince Harry walks away from charity after report laid bare 'damaging' bullying row
Prince Harry has walked away from his African youth charity set up in memory of his mother after a damning report into a bullying and race row.
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In March, Dr Sophie Chandauka, the charity’s chairman, made claims of harassment and misogyny leading to Harry quitting as patron. Several trustees also resigned.
A Charity Commission investigation has rebuked ‘all parties’ for allowing the row to erupt publicly, but ruled Dr Chandauka and the current board cold remain in place.
Dr Chandauka had made a series of incendiary allegations about the behaviour of the Duke of Sussex and the trustees.
Their failure to resolve disputes internally, 'severely impacted the charity's reputation and risked undermining public trust in charities more generally,' the Charity Commission found.
Last night, a spokesman for Harry made it clear that he had no intention of returning: “With the original mission of Sentebale firmly in mind - and in honour of the legacy he and Prince Seeiso [of Lesotho] began - The Duke of Sussex will now focus on finding new ways to continue supporting the children of Lesotho and Botswana.”
A spokesman for the prince said it was 'unsurprising' that the report makes no findings of wrongdoing in relation to himself, or evidence of bullying or racism.
The row first exploded in March when Harry quit, with Dr Chandauka saying the charity was beset by ‘misogynoir’ - or misogyny against black women.
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The fallout came after Sentebale's trustees sought in 2023 to introduce a new fundraising strategy, with the dispute arising between Dr Chandauka and some of the trustees and Harry, said the regulator.
A war of words followed the resignations with Harry and Seeiso issuing a joint statement in March, describing their decision as "devastating" and adding they could see "no other path forward as the result of our loss in trust and confidence in the chair of the board".
Dr Chandauka hit back in a television interview accusing the duke of being "involved" in a "cover-up" of an investigation about bullying, harassment and misogyny at the organisation and said the "toxicity" of his brand had impacted the charity which had seen a drop in donors since Harry moved to the US.
The regulator, which cannot investigate individual allegations of bullying, found no evidence of systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity but acknowledged "the strong perception of ill treatment" felt by some involved.
David Holdsworth, chief executive of the Charity Commission, said: "Passion for a cause is the bedrock of volunteering and charity, delivering positive impact for millions of people here at home and abroad every day.
"However, in the rare cases when things go wrong, it is often because that very passion has become a weakness rather than a strength.
"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 jeopardising the charity's ability to deliver for the very beneficiaries it was created to serve."
Harry founded charity Sentebale in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help young people and children in southern Africa, particularly those living with HIV and Aids.