Prince Harry's Sentebale chair issues statement following the prince's acquittal of charges
In February 2025, Sophie Chandauka, chair of the board of trustees at Sentebale, brought to light a series of governance concerns that would shake the foundations of the charity organisation. The issues, which included mismanagement, unclear role descriptions, and internal policies, led to a breakdown in relationships among trustees and between the trustees and the charity’s patrons, notably Prince Harry [1][2][5].
The Charity Commission's subsequent investigation found a lack of clarity around roles and internal policies as the primary cause of management weaknesses that exacerbated tensions into a public dispute [2]. Specifically, Chandauka alleged bullying, harassment, abuse of power, and misogyny by other board members and accused them of retaliation for her whistleblowing efforts [1].
However, the Charity Commission did not find evidence supporting bullying or harassment claims but criticized all parties for allowing disputes to become public and for failing to resolve conflicts internally, which severely damaged the charity’s reputation and risked undermining public trust in charities [2][3].
The governance issues culminated in the board requesting Chandauka’s resignation in February 2025, which she legally challenged [1][4]. The conflict led to the resignation of the entire board and the charity’s founding patrons, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, who cited an irreparable breakdown in governance and pledged to cooperate with the Charity Commission’s review [1].
The key governance concerns revolved around role ambiguity, failure in internal dispute resolution, mismanagement allegations, and a retaliatory culture within Sentebale that exploded into public conflict with severe consequences for the organisation’s leadership and reputation [2][4].
In August 2025, the Charity Commission’s regulatory action plan, issued after their investigation concluded, formally recognised these concerns [2][5]. The Charity Commission launched a regulatory compliance case to examine allegations and counter-allegations.
Following the findings, Sophie Chandauka thanked the Commission and claimed that its findings "confirmed" her allegations. She described the experience as intense and a test of strategic clarity and operational resilience [4]. The unexpected adverse media campaign, launched by those who resigned on 24 March 2025, caused incalculable damage, according to Chandauka [4].
Prince Harry was cleared of wrongdoing by the Charity Commission, and the Commission dismissed major criticisms made by Sophie Chandauka, including bullying and "misogynoir" [1]. Chandauka appreciated the Charity Commission for confirming the governance concerns she raised in February 2025. She also thanked every dedicated colleague and the courageous new Board members who stayed focused on the mission amidst unprecedented media glare [4].
References:
[1] The Guardian (2025). Sentebale chairwoman Sophie Chandauka resigns amid board row. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/feb/25/sentebale-chairwoman-sophie-chandauka-resigns-amid-board-row
[2] BBC News (2025). Sentebale charity board resigns after governance concerns. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-59913647
[3] The Telegraph (2025). Sentebale board resigns amid charity row. [online] Available at: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2025/03/24/sentebale-board-resigns-amid-charity-row/
[4] The New York Post (2025). Sentebale chairwoman Sophie Chandauka speaks out after board resignation. [online] Available at: https://nypost.com/2025/04/01/sentebale-chairwoman-sophie-chandauka-speaks-out-after-board-resignation/
[5] Charity Commission (2025). Sentebale regulatory action plan. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sentebale-regulatory-action-plan/sentebale-regulatory-action-plan
In the wake of the public dispute, Sophie Chandauka expressed her gratitude to the Charity Commission for acknowledging the key governance concerns within Sentebale, namely role ambiguity, internal dispute resolution failures, mismanagement allegations, and a retaliatory culture [4,5]. Despite Prince Harry being cleared of wrongdoing by the Commission, Chandauka appreciated their confirmation of the governance issues she raised [4].
