Prince Harry is said to be ‘reeling’ after finding himself at the centre of another controversy – this time involving his charity, Sentebale. And, according to its chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, everything changed as the result of one key phone call from the Prince.
Harry co-founded Sentebale in 2006 along with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, with the aim of helping children who are affected by HIV/AIDS. Both royals sensationally stepped down just last week, prompting a war of words between Harry and Dr Chandauka, who has accused him of “harassment and bullying at scale”. Speaking about the crisis at Sentebale’s heart, she said of the Prince: “The number one risk for this organisation was the toxicity of its lead patron’s brand.” Sources close to the Duke have branded the claims “baseless”.
She also alleged in a chat with Sky News that an unexpected announcement from Harry ‘suggested he was putting his Netflix show ahead of a fundraising event for the charity’. Dr Chandauka spoke about the viral speculation surrounding a charity polo match, which took place in Florida April last year, claiming: “We had a very generous family that was happy for us to use their polo grounds at a material discount. And then, about a month before the event was about to take place, Prince Harry called the team and said: ‘I’m doing a Netflix show, and I would love to bring a camera crew’.”
Dr Chandauka alleged that as a result, the contract with the venue’s owner had to change because it was now ‘a commercial undertaking’. “We couldn’t afford it. So now we lost the venue,” she claimed.
It was by no means the only drama surrounding the event. After finding a new location, organisers were then told that Meghan, who reportedly hadn’t planned to attend, then turned up afterall, along with her friend Serena Williams. An awkward moment on stage then ensued, where Meghan asked Dr Chandauka to move positions away from the Duke. The scene, caught on camera, was made all the more awkward when Dr Chandauka was forced to duck under the trophy which was being held by the prince and his wife.
Dr Chandauka claims that Harry then asked her to issue a statement about the unfortunate photo op, backing Meghan. However, she refused, allegedly telling the royal that not only would it increase the chances Meghan would ‘get even worse trolling’ but also because the charity ‘could not be an extension of the Sussex brand’.
While Harry and Meghan are yet to comment publicly on the row, sources close to the couple have blasted the charity boss’ claims. They told Mail Online that her take on the fundraising event in Miami is “highly misleading”.
The souces have suggested the original venue had already changed its terms, resulting in a rise in costs, which meant the charity had no option but to find a new site with the help of Harry’s friend and fellow polo player, Nacho Figueras. They say the decision had nothing to do with Netflix. They also stated that 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”.
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