Prince Harry called his decision to step down from Sentable ‘devastating’. Nearly a week on from the shock announcement, the row has deepened with troubling claims
The crisis at Prince Harry’s charity Sentebale is showing no signs of slowing down. According to its under-fire boss Dr Sophie Chandauka, tensions began brewing after Harry quit royal life and headed to America. But her account of the bitter row is at complete odds with Harry’s camp, with sources close to the Duke branding her claims ‘baseless’.
Amidst all the shock allegations, one moment that seems to be a central focus of the feud is a rather awkward exchange involving Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle. A now-viral video shows Meghan directing Dr Chandauka to another spot on stage at a Sentable polo match last year.
The tense exchange caught the attention of eagled-eyed royal fans at the time, with many noting just how awkward it was when the charity chairwoman was forced to duck under the trophy Harry was holding, in order to move where Meghan was directing her to stand. But now the clip has taken on a whole new meaning, as Dr Chandauka claims that when it went viral at the time, Harry asked her to make a public statement to defend Meghan, and she refused.
READ MORE: Prince Harry phone call that ‘changed everything’ in nightmare charity row
Speaking to Sky News’ Trevor Phillips, the lawyer said: “The choreography went badly on stage because we had too many people on stage. The international press captured this, and there was a lot of talk about the Duchess and the choreography on stage and whether she should have been there and her treatment of me.” She continued: “Prince Harry asked me to issue some sort of a statement in support of the Duchess, and I said I wouldn’t.”
Claiming that in her view, a statement would add fuel to the fire and increase the ‘trolling’ against Meghan, Dr Chandauka said of her decision: “I said no, we’re not setting a precedent by which we become an extension of the Sussex PR machine.”
READ MORE: Prince Harry’s charity chair sheds new light on awkward viral moment with Meghan Markle
It appears that this refusal contributed to the dispute which has ultimately ended in Harry’s resignation. It comes as fresh allegations have emerged about Prince Harry’s alleged reaction to Dr Chandauka’s refusal to publicly defend Meghan.
The Duke Harry allegedly sent an ‘unpleasant’ message to the head of his former African charity, asking her to “explain herself”. Sources told The Telegraph that the message was “unpleasant in tone” and used ‘imperious’ language leaving the charity chair “taken aback”. The Mirror has approached the Sussexes for comment.
Harry and Meghan are yet to comment publicly on the row, but Sussex insiders have told Mail Online that Dr Chandauka’s account on the fundraising event in Miami is “highly misleading”.
And following the lawyer’s interviews at the weekend, a source close to Sentebale’s former trustees and patrons said they “fully expected this publicity stunt”. “They remain firm in their resignation, for the good of the charity, and look forward to the adjudication of the truth,” the source added.
Sources close to the Duke have also said Dr Chandauka’s latest comments in the row are a “deflection”, and that the resignation of the trustees and Harry was as a “direct result of the chair’s mismanagement”.
