The UK’s Charity Commission on Wednesday cleared Britain’s Prince Harry of accusations of bullying in a highly public dispute at Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in 2006 to help children with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana.
The charity Sentebale was at the centre of an explosive boardroom dispute in late March and April when its chairperson, Sophie Chandauka, publicly accused Harry, the youngest son of the UK’s King Charles III, of “bullying.”
Days earlier, Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho had announced they were resigning from the charity after the trustees quit when Chandauka refused their demand to step down.
Harry, also known as the Duke of Sussex, launched the charity in honour of his mother, Princess Diana, to help young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and later Botswana.
After its months-long inquiry, the UK-based Charity Commission “found no evidence of widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity,” it said in its conclusions published Wednesday.
But it “criticised all parties to the dispute for allowing it to play out publicly,” saying the “damaging internal dispute” then “severely impacted the charity’s reputation.”
It added that there was “a lack of clarity in delegations” and added that this led to “mismanagement in the administration of the charity.”
It has issued the charity with a plan to “address governance weaknesses.”
Harry said in an April statement that the events had “been heartbreaking to witness, especially when such blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades in this shared goal.”
Chandauka had accused Harry of trying to force her out through “bullying (and) harassment” in an interview with Sky News.
In one example, Chandauka, who was appointed to the voluntary post in 2023, criticised Harry for his decision to bring a Netflix camera crew to the charity’s polo fundraiser last year, as well as an unplanned appearance by his wife, Meghan, at the event.
The accusations were a fresh blow for the prince, who kept up only a handful of his private patronages, including those with Sentebale, after a dramatic split with the British royal family in 2020, leaving the UK to live in North America with his wife and children.
“Moving forward, I urge all parties not to lose sight of those who rely on the charity’s services,” said the commission’s chief executive, David Holdsworth, adding improvements should now be made.
Harry chose the name Sentebale as a tribute to Diana, who died in a Paris car crash in 1997 when the prince was just 12. It means “forget me not” in the Sesotho language and is also used to say goodbye.
AFP
