Why Prince Harry Abruptly Quit the Charity He Founded in Mom Princess Diana’s Honor

Watch:Why Prince Harry Unexpectedly Quit the Charity He Founded in Princess Diana’s Honor

Prince Harry is royally devastated. 

Nearly two decades after the Duke of Sussex and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho founded the charity Sentebale in honor of their respective late mothers Princess Diana and Queen ‘Mamohato, they announced they are resigning from their positions as patrons amid controversy among the charity’s leadership, which is being investigated by U.K.-based agency the Charity Commission. 

“What’s transpired is unthinkable,” the pair said in a joint statement given to the Press Association March 26. “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.”

“Nearly 20 years ago, we founded Sentebale in honor of our mothers,” their statement went on. “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.”

E! News has reached out to Prince Harry for comment and has not heard back.

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The pair cited, per NBC News, an alleged breakdown in the relationship between Sentebale’s board of trustees and its chairwoman—listed on the charity’s website as Dr. Sophie Chandauka—and a subsequent request for her to step down made by the board.

Harry and Seeiso’s statement went on to back the decision of the board—which includes the Spare author’s friend Mark Dyer—to also step down from Sentebale amid the investigation.

“With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as patrons of the organization until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same,” they said. “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.”

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Adding to the controversy, the “heartbroken” pair revealed that Dr. Chandauka is also suing the board of trustees for questioning her leadership of Sentebale, which has focused on supporting young people in Africa affected by the HIV/AIDS crisis since 2006.

“These trustees acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down while keeping the well-being of staff in mind,” Harry and Seeiso emphasized. “In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship.”

They finished by maintaining their support for the underlying mission of Sentebale nearly 20 years after they cofounded the charity.

“Although we may no longer be patrons, we will always be its founders,” they noted, “and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care.”

For her part, Dr. Chandauka, who has led the board of trustees since last year, shared in a statement that that Sentebale was “not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account.”

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“Everything I do at Sentebale is in pursuit of the integrity of the organisation, its mission, and the young people we serve,” she said in a statement obtained by NBC News. “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.”

She went on to share that she’d reported members of the board to the Charity Commission, which oversees registered charities in England and Wales, for their conduct.

As Dr. Chandauka explained, “Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to 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 coverup that ensued. I could be anyone. I just happen to be an educated woman who understands that the law will guide and protect me.”

Former members of the board expressed their disappointment about how the entire situation has unfolded.

“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,” the statement provided to NBC News read. “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.”

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“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,” the trustees continued. “This was not a choice willingly made, but rather something we felt forced into in order to look after the charity.”

Meanwhile, the Charity Commission confirmed that it was looking into the matter.

“We can confirm that we are aware of concerns about the governance of Sentebale,” the organization said in a statement to NBC News. “We are assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps.”

Keep reading for more news on the British royal family…

(NBCNews and E! News are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)

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Andrew continued, “With His Majesty’s agreement, we feel I must now go a step further. I will therefore no longer use my title or the honours which have been conferred upon me. As I have said previously, I vigorously deny the accusations against me.”

 

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The pair posed outside of the museum, before heading inside to meet with government leaders and advocates working to combat climate change. The event preceded the COP30 World Leaders Summit in Belém, Brazil, in November, which Prince William is set to attend on his father’s behalf.

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“Following the information shared this weekend on the Duchess of York’s correspondence with Jeffrey Epstein, Julia’s House has taken the decision that it would be inappropriate for her to continue as a patron of the charity,” the charity wrote in a statement per The Guardian. “We have advised the Duchess of York of this decision and thank her for her past support.”

A spokesperson for Ferguson said the virtual correspondence was written after a threat made to her by Epstein. 

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While Harry pulled into the residence around 5:20 p.m. local time on Sept. 10, Charles returned to the home just hours before.

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“Both families were informed jointly of the announcement,” the couple’s spokesperson said in a statement to Hello! at the time, “and were delighted with the wonderful news of their engagement.”

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Camilla is the first woman to hold the honorary title, which can only be appointed by the sovereignin this case, her husband King Charles III—on the nomination of the First Sea Lord, who is currently Sir Gwyn Jenkins.

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His and Meghan Markle’s security was lessened after they stepped back as working members of the royal family in 2021 and moved to the United States. However, in the years that followed, Harry had requested security while visiting the U.K. 

The Duke of Sussex told the BBC May 2 that he was “devastated” about losing his legal battle. He emphasized, “I can’t see a world in which I would bring my wife and children back to the UK at this point.”

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The Duke of Sussex, who shares kids Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet with Meghan, said that he would love to reconnect with his family. But the ball is in his dad’s court. 

“I can’t see a world in which I would be bringing my wife and children back to the U.K. at this point,” he said. “It’s really quite sad that I won’t be able to show my children my homeland.”

“There is a lot of control and ability in my father’s hands, ultimately this whole thing could be resolved through him,” Harry added. “Not necessarily by intervening but by stepping aside and allowing the experts to do what is necessary and to carry on.”

Despite the years of conflict, he’s waving the white flag in hopes of reconciliation. He added, “Life is precious, I don’t know how much longer my father has.”

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“Each diagnosis, each new case, will be a daunting and at times frightening experience for those individuals and their loved ones,” Charles wrote in the booklet for the reception to provide resources for those with cancer. “But as one among those statistics myself, I can vouch for the fact that it can also be an experience that brings into sharp focus the very best of humanity.” 

He also thanked healthcare workers who helped him amid his journey, adding, “It has certainly given me an even deeper appreciation of the extraordinary work undertaken by the remarkable organisations and individuals gathered here this evening, many of whom I have known, visited and supported over the years.”

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Their absence marked the second Easter they skipped, with the 2024 holiday taking place a week after the Princess of Wales announced her cancer diagnosis.

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Buckingham Palace investigated the allegations and the case was wrapped up in 2022 without any findings made public.

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On the latter, Craker told The New York Post in 2017, “I was standing at the rear of the hearse and William looked up and acknowledged me. I looked toward him and nodded. William was comforted that I was with his mum on her final journey.”

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“Frederik knows that he is my Superhero, as he is to all of our family, and to so very many good friends and now in great part thanks to his PolG Foundation, to so very many people the world over,” Robert said in a statement. “Part of his superpower was his ability to inspire and to lead by example.”

 

Prince Harry Reaches Settlement in U.K. Tabloids Lawsuit

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The deal included the company paying “substantial damages,” as well as issuing a “full and unequivocal apology” to Harry and public acknowledgement of “the extensive coverage and serious intrusion into his private life as well as the private life of Diana, Princess of Wales,” per NBC News.

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“I am however looking forward to a fulfilling year ahead,” she continued. “There is much to look forward to.”

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She wrote on Instagram Jan. 7, “I have cried too many tears to count – the type of tears that make you get in the shower with the absurd hope that the running water on your face will somehow make you not feel them, or pretend they’re not there. But they are. And that’s okay too.”

“Thank you for so many years of unconditional love, my sweet Guy,” Meghan added. “You filled my life in ways you’ll never know.”

 

Prince William Mourns Death of Former Nanny’s Stepson

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“A pleasure to be back in SW19 for the finals of this year’s @wimbledon Championships this weekend,” the family wrote in an Instagram post at the time. “Congratulations again to @iga.swiatek and @janniksin on your wins! And a huge thank you to everybody involved in making the tournament so special.”

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