Prince Harry has been rocked by the resignation of key personnel at one of his charities.
Melloney Poole, a distinguished member of the board of trustees for Invictus Games Birmingham 2027, Harry's beloved organisation, has left her role as vice-chairman.
She cited focusing on her other interests, such as chairing the Florence Nightingale Foundation, as the reason for her departure.
The late Queen Elizabeth II's cousin, Princess Alexandra, The Honourable Lady Ogilvy, is the royal patron of the Florence Nightingale Foundation.
Mrs Poole is a renowned charity and public administrative law expert, with experience dating back to 2003.
She has led the legal and governance functions for Arts Council England, Heritage Lottery Fund, and Big Lottery Fund.
She earned an OBE in 2011 and also established the Armed Forces Covenant Fund in 2015.
"Melloney joined the Invictus Games Birmingham 2027 Board during our formative phase to help establish our governance framework," a spokesman for Invictus said..
"Having completed the job she set out to do, and with IG27 entering an exciting new phase of delivery - including our One Year To Go event at the NEC on Birmingham on 10 July - Melloney amicably decided to step down, with our sincere thanks and best wishes for her contribution.
Prince Harry has been rocked by the resignation of key personnel at one of his charities.
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"The Board will be making further announcements on its continued strengthening with new members in due course."
Her arrival in preparation for the event in December 2024 marked a significant coup for the charity, though her rapid resignation compounds mounting concerns.
The 2027 games in Birmingham, for which Mrs Poole was the vice-chair, have been further clouded after the Australian government axed their funding for the charity.
The Albanese administration had previously earmarked AUD$9m over three years for Invictus Australia in the 2022-23 budget, set to expire in the next financial year.
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Melloney Poole, a distinguished member of the board of trustees for Invictus, Harry's beloved organisation, has left her role as vice-chairman
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However, it has not been renewed in the 2026-2027 budget, which was passed down on Tuesday.
Invictus Australia chief executive Michael Hartung told 2GB on Wednesday they were left "in shock" by the decision.
Harry established Invictus Australia in 2014 and visited alumni from Team Australia during his tour Down Under with his wife, Meghan Markle, last month.
The charity, founded by the prince himself, supports the recovery of wounded, injured and sick military service personnel through sport and competition.
It aims to provide veterans with an outlet and an opportunity to rebuild through international games, held internationally every two years.
Following the 2025 games in Canada, 2027 is currently due to be held in Birmingham.
But the Duke of Sussex's charity problems extend beyond Invictus.
In March, Sentebale, a charity he co-founded in honour of his late mother, Princess Diana, sued the royal for libel at the High Court in London.
Harry resigned from his role as patron at the organisation, which aimed to help young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana, after a public falling-out with the chairwoman of the board, Sophie Chandauka.
The Duke of Sussex "categorically" rejected the "offensive and damaging" libel claim from his former charity, his spokesman confirmed.
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