Sentebale chair Dr Sophie Chandauka has issued a blistering statement accusing the Duke of ‘harassment and bullying at scale’ after he quit the charity this week
Sophie Chandauka accuses Prince Harry of ‘bullying and harassment’
The chair of a charity set up by Prince Harry has accused him of “harassment and bullying at scale” by “unleashing the Sussex machine” after he quit earlier this week.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, resigned on Tuesday as patron of Sentebale – a charity he set up in his late mother Princess Diana’s memory to support children with HIV. He said he was devastated to do so, but cited a “broken” relationship for the reason for the move. His resignation, along with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho – the charity’s other joint founder – came just hours before its chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka appeared to criticise him for “playing the victim card” and issued a blistering statement alleging there had been “poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir”.
In another bombshell interview, the Zimbabwean lawyer told Sky News: “At some point on Tuesday, Prince Harry authorised the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world, without informing me, or my country directors, or my executive director. And can you imagine what that attack has done for me, and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organisation and their family?”
She added: “That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale. If the world didn’t want to believe that there’s such a thing as bullying – this unleashing of the Sussex machine on me and the 540 employees at Sentebale who receive this and have had to defend it…”
Sky News reporter Trevor Phillips then interrupted Dr Chandauka to ask: “When you say Sussex machine, what are you talking about?” She replied: “The PR machine that supports Prince Harry’s efforts. The only way we discovered his decision was through the Sussex machine activating newspapers.”
A source, who has known the prince since he created the African charity in 2006, said: “There’s no way of sugar-coating the damage of this, regardless of who’s in the right. He’ll be reeling.” Prince Harry, however, has not commented publicly on the stinging rebuke, in which Dr Chandauka referred to people who “play the victim card and use the very press they disdain, to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct”.
She also described his and Meghan Markle’s brand as “toxic”, claimed there was tension between herself and the Duke, and that she was asked by his team to protect Meghan against any negative publicity – which she refused to do. “The number one risk for this organisation was the toxicity of its lead patron’s brand,” Dr Chandauka told the Financial Times. She claimed the controversy surrounding Prince Harry’s move to the US has affected the charity’s ability to diversify its donor base and make senior hires. “When you start to interview people, they’re asking questions about, well, these mixed messages around the patron”, she said.
Chandauka also accused Harry and fellow co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, of attempting to “force a failure” of the organisation, only to later position themselves as its saviours.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex declined to offer any formal response on the claims made in Sophie Chandauka’s interview with Trevor Phillips when contacted by Sky News. The Mirror has approached the Sussexes for comment.