Sentebale chair Dr Sophie Chandauka has issued a blistering statement accusing the Duke of ‘harassment and bullying at scale’ after he quit the charity this week

The chair of a charity set up by Prince Harry has accused him of “harassment and bullying at scale” by “unleashing the Sussex machine” after he quit earlier this week.

The Duke of Sussex, 40, resigned on Tuesday as patron of Sentebale – a charity he set up in his late mother Princess Diana’s memory to support children with HIV. He said he was devastated to do so, but cited a “broken” relationship for the reason for the move. His resignation, along with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho – the charity’s other joint founder – came just hours before its chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka appeared to criticise him for “playing the victim card” and issued a blistering statement alleging there had been “poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir”.

The problems between both parties reportedly began following a decision to focus fundraising in Africa. But a source with detailed knowledge of the charity claims Dr Chandauka has herself been accused of bullying staff and manipulating the minutes of board meetings. The source said one report being looked at by the Charity Commission will include concerns regarding Chandauka’s governance as well as her “manipulation of minutes to endorse her false claims of bullying and misogyny”, reports The Times.

Sources said they were concerned about the charity’s future after available funds fell below a £600,000 safety threshold following Chandauka’s appointment in 2023. A source close to Chandauka confirmed the £600,000 figure but claimed Sentebale was due to recieve $1.75 million (£1.35 million) that had been pledged. Prince Harry has meanwhile raised more than £12 million for the charity in polo matches. He also donated more than £1 million of the proceeds made from his memoire Spare to Sentebale.

In another bombshell interview, Chandauka accused Prince Harry of “harassment and bullying at scale” through use of his Sussex “PR machine.” She told Sky News: “At some point on Tuesday, Prince Harry authorised the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world, without informing me, or my country directors, or my executive director. And can you imagine what that attack has done for me, and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organisation and their family?”

She added: “That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale. If the world didn’t want to believe that there’s such a thing as bullying – this unleashing of the Sussex machine on me and the 540 employees at Sentebale who receive this and have had to defend it…”

Sky News reporter Trevor Phillips then interrupted Dr Chandauka to ask: “When you say Sussex machine, what are you talking about?” She replied: “The PR machine that supports Prince Harry’s efforts. The only way we discovered his decision was through the Sussex machine activating newspapers.”

Prince Harry at a Sentebale event in October last year(Image: Getty Images for Sentebale)

Former trustee Dr Kelello Lerotholi said he had never witnessed any of these issues whilst working for the organisation, and that the allegations came to his as a surprise. He told Sky News: “I can honestly say, in the meetings I was present in, there was never even a hint of such. The general tone and conduct of the board has been one of respect for each other, accommodating each other’s opinions and inputs, and speaking with respect to each other. So this all came as a shock to me.”

A source, who has known the prince since he created the African charity in 2006, said: “There’s no way of sugar-coating the damage of this, regardless of who’s in the right. He’ll be reeling.” Prince Harry, however, has not commented publicly on the stinging rebuke, in which Dr Chandauka referred to people who “play the victim card and use the very press they disdain, to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct”.

Harry and Meghan’s brand was branded ‘toxic’ by the Zimbabwean lawyer(Image: PA)

She also described his and Meghan Markle’s brand as “toxic”, claimed there was tension between herself and the Duke, and that she was asked by his team to protect Meghan against any negative publicity – which she refused to do. “The number one risk for this organisation was the toxicity of its lead patron’s brand,” Dr Chandauka told the Financial Times. She claimed the controversy surrounding Prince Harry’s move to the US has affected the charity’s ability to diversify its donor base and make senior hires. “When you start to interview people, they’re asking questions about, well, these mixed messages around the patron”, she said.

Chandauka also accused Harry and fellow co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, of attempting to “force a failure” of the organisation, only to later position themselves as its saviours. It followed a statement last week from Sentebale, which suggested “people in the field” were more important than its trustees.

Harry resigned as patron of Sentebale on Tuesday(Image: Getty Images for Sentebale)

The charity said: “There are people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat people, and then play the victim card and use the very press they disdain to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct. Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to the 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.”

Sentebale said it was committed to supporting young people in the region – without the backing of its royal patron. A source close to the former trustees of the Sentebale charity has meanwhile described Dr Chandauka’s claims as “completely baseless”. The organisation and its trustees are facing allegations of racism, sexism and bullying from the finance lawyer.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex declined to offer any formal response on the claims made in Sophie Chandauka’s interview with Trevor Phillips when contacted by Sky News. The Mirror has approached the Sussexes for comment.