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Watchdog looking into concerns raised about charity founded by Prince Harry Prince Harry attacks ‘blatant lies’ in charity row as watchdog opens inquiry
(about 2 hours later)
Duke of Sussex quit as patron of Sentebale last week amid boardroom battle Duke of Sussex says he hopes Charity Commission will ‘unveil the truth’ about governance of Sentebale
The Charity Commission has said it has opened a case into “concerns raised” about the charity Sentebale, which the Duke of Sussex quit as patron of last week amid a boardroom battle. Prince Harry has launched a thinly veiled attack on the chair of the Sentebale charity he founded two decades ago for telling “blatant lies”, as an inquiry was launched into claims about the organisation’s governance.
More details soon … In a statement issued in response to the Charity Commission’s decision to open a “compliance case”, the prince said he hoped a “robust inquiry” would “unveil the truth”.
Harry said he had found the recent developments “heartbreaking to witness, especially when such blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades in this shared goal”.
It was announced last week that Harry had quit the charity alongside his co-founder and fellow patron, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, and its five trustees, after a row with the chair of the board, Sophie Chandauka.
Chandauka had launched a legal action at the high court to prevent her being ousted and complained to the Charity Commission about the behaviour of Sentebale’s trustees.
In subsequent media appearances, Chandauka accused Harry of “harassment and bullying at scale” for releasing news of his decision to resign “without informing me or my country directors, or my executive director”.
On Thursday, the Charity Commission said it had escalated its response after initial contact with complainants, adding that it was “in direct contact with parties who have raised concerns to gather evidence and assess the compliance of the charity and trustees past and present with their legal duties”.
It went on: “The regulator’s focus, in line with its statutory remit, will be to determine whether the charity’s current and former trustees, including its chair, have fulfilled their duties and responsibilities under charity law.
“The commission is not an adjudicator or mediator and is guided by the principle of ensuring trustees fulfil their primary duty to their charitable purpose and beneficiaries.”
In response, Harry said he was relieved that the inquiry had been launched into the charity, which he established in 2006 in memory of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.
He said: “From the inception of Sentebale nearly 20 years ago, Prince Seeiso and I have had a clear goal: to support the children and young people in southern Africa in memory of our mothers.
“What has transpired over the last week has been heartbreaking to witness, especially when such blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades in this shared goal. No one suffers more than the beneficiaries of Sentebale itself.
“On behalf of the former trustees and patrons, we share in the relief that the Charity Commission confirmed they will be conducting a robust inquiry.
“We fully expect it will unveil the truth that collectively forced us to resign. We remain hopeful this will allow for the charity to be put in the right hands immediately, for the sake of the communities we serve.”
Chandauka, a Zimbabwean corporate lawyer who has held roles at Meta and Morgan Stanley, and leads a biotechnology company in New York, said she had first raised “governance, administration and management matters” at Sentebale with the commission in February.
She said: “For completeness, I should mention that we initiated an internal governance review last year, the findings of which we will share with the Charity Commission.
“We hope that, together, these actions will give the general public, our colleagues, partners, supporters, donors and the communities we serve comfort that Sentebale and its new board of trustees are acting appropriately to demonstrate and ensure good governance and a healthy culture for Sentebale to thrive.”
She added: “In the meantime, our exceptional executive team and operational staff remain focused on the day-to-day operations of the charity, ensuring continuity in our work and mission delivery.
“We appreciate the patience, understanding and tremendous support we have received from our existing and prospective partners and supporters, and look forward to continuing to work together with you as we recalibrate for an ambitious future.”
Chandauka, who had sought to restructure the charity by moving its leadership to Africa and focusing fundraising in the US, has complained of “poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir [misogyny directed towards black women]” at Sentebale, which is based outside Maseru, the capital of Lesotho, in southern Africa.
The regulatory compliance case could lead to a range of outcomes including an official warning or the opening of a statutory inquiry, which would give the commission additional powers of investigation.