Prince Harry has been cleared of any wrongdoing following an internal dispute at Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in 2006 to support vulnerable children in southern Africa.
A new report by the Charity Commission has concluded its compliance case into the organisation and issued a Regulatory Action Plan after identifying governance failures, but found no fault with the Duke of Sussex.
The Commission said confusion around internal policies, unclear role descriptions, and the failure to manage disputes internally led to the charity’s reputation being “severely impacted” after public fallouts and multiple resignations, including that of Harry and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso.
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Prince Harry cleared in Sentebale row but warns ‘children will bear the cost’ in scathing rant
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The regulator found “no evidence of widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity”, and was also “not satisfied that public statements made to the media, and public criticism made in television interviews, were conducted in a way that served the charity’s best interests.”
It further found no “over-reach” by either the chairwoman or Prince Harry, but was critical of “the charity’s lack of clarity in delegations to the chair which allowed for misunderstandings to occur.”
Sentebale welcomed the ruling but faced sharp criticism from its current chairwoman, Dr Sophie Chandauka, who blamed the Duke of Sussex for “incalculable damage” and “unacceptable behaviours.”
In a statement responding to the findings, a spokesman for the Duke of Sussex told GB News: "The Charity Commission has today announced its findings.
"Unsurprisingly, the Commission makes no findings of wrongdoing in relation to Sentebale’s Co-Founder and former Patron, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. They also found no evidence of widespread bullying, harassment or misogyny and misogynoir at the charity, as falsely claimed by the current Chair."
Dr Sophie Chandauka has refused to step down as the chairwoman of Sentebale
| PAReferring to Sentebale's chairwoman, Dr Sophie Chandauka, who accused Prince Harry of causing "incalculable damage" to the charity, the spokesman continued: "Despite all that, their report falls troublingly short in many regards, primarily the fact that the consequences of the current Chair’s actions will not be borne by her—but by the children who rely on Sentebale’s support.
"Sentebale has been a deeply personal and transformative mission for Prince Harry, established to serve some of the most vulnerable children in Lesotho and Botswana.
"For 19 years, its dedicated staff and steadfast supporters have provided vital care to over 100,000 young people across southern Africa, including young people living with HIV/AIDS and those facing mental health challenges.
"As custodians of this once brilliant charity, Prince Seeiso, Prince Harry and the former Board of Trustees helped grow Sentebale from the seed of an idea to—like its namesake—a flowering force for good.
Dr Sophie Chandauka and Prince Harry at a Sentebale reception in South Africa
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Prince Harry founded Sentebale in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in honour of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales
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"With the original mission of Sentebale firmly in mind—and in honour of the legacy he and Prince Seeiso began—The Duke of Sussex will now focus on finding new ways to continue supporting the children of Lesotho and Botswana.”
The Charity Commission criticised all parties for allowing tensions to unfold in public and said the handling of internal issues amounted to “mismanagement in the administration of the charity.”
David Holdsworth, Chief Executive of the Charity Commission, said: “Sentebale’s problems played out in the public eye, enabling a damaging dispute to harm the charity’s reputation, risk overshadowing its many achievements, and jeopardising the charity’s ability to deliver for the very beneficiaries it was created to serve.”
The Commission has ordered the charity to improve its governance and dispute-handling processes. It is now monitoring Sentebale’s progress against the plan.