An investigation into the management fallout on the Duke of Sussex’s charity, Sentebale, has discovered no proof of alleged harassment or bullying throughout the organisation.
Whilst a spokesman for Prince Harry stated that those findings had been “unsurprising,” the record had fallen “troublingly brief in lots of regards”.
The Charity Fee opened a compliance case previous this 12 months after Harry and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, stepped down from Sentebale after the connection between the board of trustees and chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka “broke down past restore” after she used to be requested to surrender.
In her reaction, Dr Sophie Chandauka stated she reported the trustees to the Charity Fee and had “blown the whistle” about problems together with abuse of energy, bullying, sexism and racism.
In a remark, the Fee defined it “discovered no proof of standard or systemic bullying or harassment, together with misogyny or misogynoir on the charity, however the Fee has stated the sturdy belief of sick remedy felt through a variety of events to the dispute and the affect this may increasingly have had on them in my opinion”.
It additionally discovered no proof of “‘over-reach’ through both the chair or the Duke of Sussex as patron, however the Fee is significant of the charity’s loss of readability in delegations to the chair which allowed for misunderstandings to happen”.
Complaint over public dispute
The record said there used to be a “failure to elucidate delegations throughout the charity to the chair, and the failure to have right kind processes for inner lawsuits, each quantity to mismanagement within the management of the charity”.
The Fee really helpful that the charity must have a “outlined patron position set out in writing”.
© PA Photographs by way of Getty PhotographsIt known a loss of readability round roles, and that delegation of sure powers to the chair “used to be a complicated, convoluted and poorly ruled procedure, with a loss of obviously outlined delegations through the years”.
The record additionally criticised all events to the dispute “for permitting it to play out publicly” and that the “trustees’ failure to unravel disputes internally critically impacted the charity’s popularity and risked undermining public believe in charities extra normally”.
The Duke of Sussex’s remark in complete
A spokesperson for Prince Harry stated: “The Charity Fee has as of late introduced its findings. Unsurprisingly, the Fee makes no findings of wrongdoing on the subject of Sentebale’s Co-Founder and previous Patron, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. Additionally they discovered no proof of standard bullying, harassment or misogyny and misogynoir on the charity, as falsely claimed through the present Chair.
“Regardless of all that, their record falls troublingly brief in lots of regards, basically the truth that the effects of the present Chair’s movements may not be borne through her – however through the youngsters who depend on Sentebale’s toughen.
© Getty Photographs for Sentebale“Sentebale has been a deeply non-public and transformative venture for Prince Harry, established to serve one of the maximum prone kids in Lesotho and Botswana. For 19 years, its devoted body of workers and steadfast supporters have supplied necessary care to over 100,000 younger folks throughout southern Africa, together with younger folks dwelling with HIV/AIDS and the ones dealing with psychological well being demanding situations.
“As custodians of this as soon as good charity, Prince Seeiso, Prince Harry and the previous Board of Trustees helped develop Sentebale from the seed of an concept to – like its namesake – a flowering power for just right.
© Getty“With the unique venture of Sentebale firmly in thoughts – and in honour of the legacy he and Prince Seeiso started – The Duke of Sussex will now focal point on discovering new tactics to proceed supporting the youngsters of Lesotho and Botswana.”
Dr Sophie Chandauka’s remark in complete
Dr Sophie Chandauka MBE, Chair of Sentebale stated: “I recognize the Charity Fee for its conclusions which verify the governance considerations I raised privately in February 2025. The enjoy used to be intense, and it was a check of our strategic readability and operational resilience.
“We’ve got persisted to without delay serve kids and younger folks in Lesotho and Botswana with the steadfast toughen of long-standing funders, strategic companions, and neighborhood leaders. Our out of the ordinary workforce will without delay serve greater than 78,000 kids and younger folks this 12 months, matching or exceeding our affect in 2024 at a time of acute want within the area.
“I thank each devoted colleague and the brave new Board participants who’ve stayed centered at the venture within the face of unparalleled media glare. The surprising adversarial media marketing campaign that used to be introduced through those that resigned on 24 March 2025 has led to incalculable injury and provides a glimpse of the unacceptable behaviours displayed in non-public.
“We’re rising now not simply thankful to have survived, however more potent: extra centered, higher ruled, boldly formidable and with our dignity intact. Regardless of the hot turbulence, we can all the time be impressed through the imaginative and prescient of our Founders, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, who established Sentebale in reminiscence in their valuable moms, Princess Diana and Queen ‘Mamohato. To all who imagine in our venture: please stroll with us as Sentebale recovers, renews, and rises to fulfill the hopes and expectancies of the following technology.”
What occurs subsequent?
The Charity Fee has issued a Regulatory Motion Plan surroundings out steps the present trustees wish to take, with suggestions to put in force an inner dispute coverage, support the charity’s lawsuits and whistleblowing procedures, and determine clearer processes for delegating authority on behalf of the charity.
In a remark, David Holdsworth, Leader Govt of the Charity Fee, stated: “Pastime for a reason is the bedrock of volunteering and charity, handing over certain affect for hundreds of thousands of folks right here at house and out of the country on a daily basis. Alternatively, within the uncommon circumstances when issues move incorrect, it’s regularly as a result of that very pastime has transform a weak point moderately than a energy.
© Getty“Sentebale’s issues performed out within the public eye, enabling a dangerous dispute to hurt the charity’s popularity, possibility overshadowing its many achievements, and jeopardising the charity’s talent to ship for the very beneficiaries it used to be created to serve.
“This situation highlights what can occur when there are gaps in governance and insurance policies essential to charities’ talent to ship for his or her reason. Consequently, we’ve got issued the charity a Regulatory Motion Plan to make wanted enhancements and rectify findings of mismanagement.
“Shifting ahead I beg all events to not lose sight of those that depend at the charity’s products and services. The present trustees will have to now make enhancements and make sure the charity makes a speciality of handing over for the ones it exists to serve.”
