Prince Harry has made the difficult decision to step down from a charity he co-founded in 2006. Harry, Duke of Sussex, and his co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho have both announced they will no longer be acting as patrons of Sentebale, an organisation which provides crucial support for children and young people living with HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana.
Neither Harry nor Seeiso wanted to step down, describing themselves as "in shock," but felt they had no choice as there has been controversy around the charity's chair of the board.
"Nearly twenty years ago, we founded Sentebale in honour of our mothers. Sentebale means 'forget-me-not' in Sesotho, the local language of Lesotho, and it’s what we've always promised for the young people we've served through this charity," the co-founders said in a statement (as reported by The Times). "Today is no different. With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as Patrons of the organisation until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same. 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."
Trustees for Sentebale including Harry's longtime friend Mark Dyer recently stepped down from the charity after they expressed a lack of faith in the chair, the lawyer Sophie Chandauka. The chair refused to step down and is instead suing the trustees, per The Times.
"These trustees acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down, while keeping the wellbeing of staff in mind. In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship," Harry and Seeiso said in their statement. "We thank all the trustees for their service over the years and are truly heartbroken they've had to follow through with this act.
"What's transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale's beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about."
According to The Times's report, the Charity Commission is currently conducting an investigation into what's happening at Sentebale.
"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," the princes said.
Sophie Chandauka reported the trustees to the Charity Commission, and is standing by her position.
"Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir — and the cover-up that ensued," the chair said.
She added: "I am an African who has had the privilege of a world-class education and career. I will not be intimidated. I must stand for something. I stand for those other women who do not have the ways and means."
