Britain’s Duke of Sussex, Prince Harry, has stepped down as patron of Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in 2006 to support vulnerable children and young people in southern Africa.
His decision follows an internal conflict within the organization’s leadership, leading to the resignation of several trustees.
The charity, established by Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in honor of their mothers, focuses on assisting young people, particularly those affected by HIV and AIDS.
However, tensions within the board escalated when trustees called for the resignation of Dr. Sophie Chandauka, the chairwoman of the board. The dispute reportedly stemmed from a shift in fundraising priorities towards Africa.
In response to the upheaval, both Harry and Seeiso announced their resignation as patrons in solidarity with the departing trustees.
In a joint statement, they expressed their sadness over the situation, saying, “Nearly 20 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.
“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.”
Harry’s passion for Sentebale was sparked by his time in Lesotho during his gap year in 2004.
He witnessed firsthand the struggles of young people, including AIDS orphans and herd boys living in isolation. The charity has since expanded its reach, now operating in Botswana as well.
The dispute within Sentebale’s leadership reached a boiling point when the chairwoman resisted calls to step down.
Former trustees, including Timothy Boucher, Mark Dyer, Audrey Kgosidintsi, Dr. Kelello Lerotholi, and Damian West, released a statement emphasizing their regret over the decision but asserting that it was necessary due to their loss of trust in the board’s leadership.
“We are deeply proud to have supported the visionary work of the Founding Patrons Prince Seeiso and Prince Harry, who founded Sentebale in memory of their mothers.
“For two decades, Sentebale has championed hundreds of thousands of children and young people, providing them with care, training, and life skills, which not only benefit each individual child they support, but their families and their communities as a whole.
“Today’s decision is nothing short of devastating for all of us, but we see no other path forward as the result of our loss in trust and confidence in the chair of the board.
“Our priority has always been, and will always be, what’s in the best interest of the charity, and it’s desperately sad the breakdown in relationship escalated to a lawsuit by the chair against the charity, to block us from voting her out after our request for her resignation was rejected.
“We could not in good conscience allow Sentebale to undertake that legal and financial burden and have been left with no other option but to vacate our positions. This was not a choice willingly made, but rather something we felt forced into in order to look after the charity.”
Harry and Seeiso, who resigned alongside the trustees, have stated their intent to escalate the matter to the Charity Commission, stressing their disappointment in how the situation unfolded.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
While Sentebale has yet to release an official statement regarding Harry and Seeiso’s resignations, the charity reportedly referred to the departures as part of a broader “restructuring of the board.”
This resignation marks a significant shift in Harry’s charitable commitments. Sentebale was one of the few organizations he retained ties with after stepping back from royal duties in 2021.
