Prince Harry expressed his deep sorrow and shock at having to resign as the patron of a charity he founded in memory of his mother.
Sentebale was established in 2006 with the goal of assisting children and young people in southern Africa, particularly those affected by HIV and Aids.
However, the Duke of Sussex revealed that he was compelled to step down due to a conflict within the organization involving chairwoman Dr. Sophie Chandauka and the board of trustees.
In a joint statement with his co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, they emphasized that the charity was established «in honor of our mothers.»
«With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as patrons of the organization until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same,» they stated.
«It is devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board deteriorated irreparably, leading to an unsustainable situation.»
The details of the dispute within the charity remain unclear, but it is rumored to revolve around a decision to concentrate fundraising efforts in Africa.
«The events that have unfolded are unimaginable,» added the princes in their statement.
«We are shocked to find ourselves in this position, but we have an ongoing responsibility to Sentebale’s beneficiaries, and therefore we will be communicating all our concerns to the Charity Commission regarding the circumstances that led to this.»
In her own statement, Dr. Chandauka asserted that she would not be intimidated, stating, «For me, this is not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account.»
She reported the trustees to the Charity Commission and mentioned that a UK court had issued an injunction to prevent them from removing her.
«There are individuals in this world who act as if they are above the law, mistreat people, and then portray themselves as victims while using the very media they disdain to harm those who have the courage to challenge their behavior,» Dr. Chandauka remarked.
She described the situation as a «narrative of a woman who dared to expose issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir – and the subsequent cover-up.»
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Prince Harry’s inspiration for founding the charity came from his two-month stay in Lesotho during his gap year in 2004.
As recently as last October, he visited the small African nation – which has one of the highest rates of HIV and Aids globally.
During a campfire conversation with young individuals, the prince emphasized the significant impact Sentebale was having. Additionally, last April, he was photographed with Dr. Chandauka at a charity polo match in Florida.
Five former trustees also released a statement explaining that their resignation was «heartbreaking,» but the result of their loss of trust and confidence in the chair of the board.
They stated that they felt compelled to resign as they could not allow Sentebale to bear the «legal and financial burden» of a lawsuit filed by the chairwoman to prevent them from voting her out after she refused to resign upon their request.
They added that their decision to resign was «not a voluntary one, but rather a choice made out of necessity to protect the charity.»