What is Happening with Harry and Sentebale?
Usually, Monday is focused on Kate, but with all the news about Harry and Sentebale that broke last week, we are focusing on that topic today. As you likely know, there was some sort of a falling out between the Sentebale trustees and Dr. Sophie Chandauka (the chair of the board), which resulted in mass resignations, including the resignations of the charity’s two patrons—Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.
There are two plot lines right now. Initially, the allegation was mismanagement “abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir,” although there have been no details on what exactly this behavior consisted of or who was alleged to have been engaging in it. Chandauka also claims she filed a whistleblower complaint, which Harry tried to stop, so Chandauka says “it’s a cover-up, and the prince is involved.” Very dramatic.
Quickly, however, the story seems to have turned to a feud between Meghan and Chandauka. If you are on social media, you probably remember the incident from the Miami polo match (the one featured at the end of Harry’s Netflix series). The Telegraph explains:
Tensions between the charity’s chairman and its co-founder became apparent last April when Prince Harry captained the winning side at the Sentebale charity polo match in Miami.
The Duchess, who had not been expected to attend the event, turned up at short notice, accompanied by a camera crew from the couple’s Netflix documentary.
(In another news report, Chandauka said organizers were given no notice that Meghan was coming, until she showed up with Serena Williams. So, very rude behavior from Meghan.)
Serena Williams, the seven-time Wimbledon champion and a friend of the Duchess, was also present at the match.
According to one source, Meghan spent much of the afternoon chatting to Ms Williams, occasionally asking the organisers to bring her champagne.
But problems arose at the end of the match when the players and their partners gathered on the podium for a post-match photograph.
In an exchange captured on camera, Meghan appeared to instruct Dr Chandauka to move away from the Duke as he celebrated his win.
The Duchess was filmed asking Dr Chandauka to move to the other side of her husband, forcing the charity chairman to duck under the trophy to switch position.
The brief encounter generated huge publicity and, behind the scenes, the Sussexes were said to be furious at the way it had appeared.
Again, if you are on social media, you probably remember this clip. It made the rounds on anti-Meghan accounts and generated a lot of chatter, as many Meghan clips do. I don’t think I would say it generated “huge publicity.” I don’t think newspapers or tv broadcasters were focusing on it. But underscores how much Meghan follows and obsesses over social media that this incident escalated:
The Telegraph understands that a member of Prince Harry’s team initially asked Dr Chandauka to issue a statement dismissing any suggestions of tension.
But Dr Chandauka, who felt she had been treated with disrespect during the charity day, refused, saying she did not wish to “become an extension of the Sussex PR machine”.
The Duke then contacted her directly to complain about her actions, with sources describing the message as “unpleasant”.
A spokesman for Sentebale confirmed the Duke had sent the message. “This is true. There is a document,” they said.
This seems to have been the source of significant personal animosity between the Sussexes and Chandauka, but it is not all that’s been going.
So what is going on?
Right now, it sounds like it is a clash of personalities and egos. I am not sympathetic to any of the characters in this tale. Just like I don’t think for a second that Charles, or William, or Kate is racist—as Meghan claimed. Similarly, I don’t think for a second that Harry is racist, or sexist, or a misogynist, or even “misogynoir.” In short, Ms. Chandauka is sounding worryingly like her nemesis Meghan.
There obviously is tension in the organization about money. The reports have been cloudy, and Ms. Chandauka’s comments have sounded deliberately vague at the critical moments. But the following series of details seems to suggest that Sentebale is struggling financially and Chandauka blames it on Harry and Meghan, while Harry is placing the blame on Chandauka and trying to fire her. The Times (of London) reported:
"Chandauka . . . [claims] that the prince’s decision to leave the UK had led to an exodus of donors from the charity.
After taking over as chairwoman in 2023, she said a financial audit revealed “significant correlation” between a worsening of the charity’s finances and Harry’s move to California with his wife, Meghan, in 2020.
Chandauka said that there was no discussion about the loss of major donors by the charity’s board as it was an “uncomfortable conversation to have with Prince Harry in the room”.
She also claimed that media attention around Harry’s 2022 Netflix documentary and his autobiography, Spare, had affected the ability to hire senior staff and attract new donors.
The acrimony within the charity eventually led Chandauka to launch a legal attempt to block trustees from removing her, a move that her associates allege was ultimately orchestrated by Harry.
Based on that series of facts, it sounds like the charity is foundering, and the trustees are pointing the finger at Chandauka and seeking to replace her while she is saying the failures at fundraising are due to Harry and Meghan’s toxic brand and not her own failure to successfully lead the organization.
From other news sources, I have read that there was disagreement about moving the fundraising center from London to Africa—I have no details or insight on the pros and cons of such a move, although I kind of assume more money would be in the West. And, the Telegraph mentioned briefly in a piece over the weekend that Trump’s pause on USAID money affected the charity. This was a very brief sentence in one article, and I have no idea if or to what extent Sentebale was funded by U.S. taxpayer dollars. But if it was, and the money suddenly went away, that could have raised the stress level in an already tense situation leading to this public split.
In short, we still really don’t know what is going on with this board dispute. Most of the public details point to clashes of personalities—a failing organization, trustees blaming the chair of the board, and Chandauka trying to keep her job— and a lot of egos in the process.
To make this story a real scandal requires misconduct with respect to the stewardship of the money. Chandauka claims there has been abuse, and we will have to wait to see if she can support that claim. I don’t buy Chandauka’s claims of racism or sexism, so I am, of course, wondering if her other allegations are equally meritless. Time will tell.
One thing is certain, this is a disaster for Harry, since Sentebale is one of his last prestigious charities. It is equally frustrating for Meghan, who is trying to launch her jam company and spread peace, positivity, and light. Having the world reminded that she is a diva—the week before her Confessions of a Female Founder podcast drops—is terrible timing and a bad look. The travails of the Sussexes just keep stacking up.
Very petty of me but I think it's good Harry got a taste of the same medicine he and Meghan dished out to Kate and Charles. What Meghan and Harry alleged about them was just so cruel and damaging. But I agree definitely a case of clashed egos. Very interested to see how this all plays out. According to Rebecca English this isn't the first time there have been a disagreement about Meghan's involvement in the charity. She spoke on Palace confidential about Audi pulling out of sponsoring a charity polo match after Meghan's involvement behind the scenes.
Dr. Chandauka's interview on Sky News (it's on Youtube) in the company of one of Sentebale's trustees is devastating. I believe her. I've worked many years in Development Departments of big non-profits and her assessments are spot on. Put aside how smart, articulate, and serene she is in the interview, she knows her stuff. Also, she said that she and Harry had a good relationship until they didn't. For one: when she took over, some Board members had held their positions for more than a decade. That's unheard of; not only is this not a "best practice", but few if any non-profits or charities can flourish when Board members are so entrenched -- unless it's a family foundation or charity. Most Boards have terms for their members for a reason. It was hard for her to do anything new, because the board was stale and devoted to Harry. She also recounted how Harry just sat someone on the Board without telling her. She's the Executive Director! That's absolutely insane. How is she supposed to run the organization if a founder is making decisions and she's the last to know and has no input? She's a South African woman and knows better than Harry how this organization can serve South Africans and fullfil Sentebele's mission. I encourage everyone to see her interview. It's also juicy! She also said that Harry had not visited Africa for five years before 2018? 2019? -- I can't remember, before she asked him to do so. She says that Senetebele has been around for almost 20 years and thrived with his minor input and will continue to go on and thrive without him. She did not sound vindictive at all. She did say that she did not even know Harry had resigned until she saw it in the press, and by that time the "Sussex PR machine," as she calls it, was unleashed to discredit her. She says it started when Harry wanted her to make a statement that Meghan wasn't mean. She refused, because she felt it would be a bad precedent for Sentebele to become part of the Sussex PR machine. That's, according to her, when she and Harry fell out. The PR machine seems to have worked a bit, since people are questioning her motives. Other than that, and even mentioning that, she did not sound vindictive at all. She sounds like a a top notch non-profit ED, who was undermined as a woman -- because she didn't do what Harry wanted her to do to guard Meghan's reputation. I encourage anyone interested in this palace intrigue to watch her interview on SKY News. She's a professional. Meghan and Harry are going to have a hard time wiggling out of this one. She also reiterated that she has documentation to back up all that she says. And Dr. Chandauka is a well respected lawyer and leader in South Africa. Good luck escaping THESE bullying rumors, Haz and Megs.