In brief
Harry's resignation follows a recent breakdown of relations between trustees and the board chair, prompting concerns for the charity's future.
Prince Harry has officially stepped down as the patron of Sentebale, the charity he founded in Lesotho dedicated to supporting communities impacted by the HIV pandemic. The announcement came on Wednesday via a statement from his office, which highlighted the ongoing conflict between the charity’s trustees and board chair, Sophie Chandauka. Deeming the situation untenable, Harry and his fellow patron, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, announced their departure in solidarity with the charity’s board.The two princes expressed their shock over the breakdown of relations, stating that their decision was made in the best interest of Sentebale’s beneficiaries. "We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale’s beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about,” they shared in a joint statement. The charity, registered in Britain but operating primarily in southern Africa, was founded by Harry and Seeiso in 2006 and was named in honor of Harry’s mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. Over the years, Sentebale has raised funds to address issues including HIV/AIDS and has expanded its reach to tackle substance abuse and gender-based violence in young people across Lesotho and neighboring Botswana.However, tensions have been mounting within the organization’s leadership structure, culminating in the resignation of five of its nine trustees this week. The departing trustees voiced a lack of trust in chair Sophie Chandauka, claiming that their attempts to unseat her were met with resistance, including legal action to prevent their voting out of her position. They stated that they chose to resign to protect the charity from the legal and financial burdens that would accompany a lawsuit."We could not in good conscience allow Sentebale to undertake that legal and financial burden and have been left with no other option but to vacate our positions,” they explained. "This was not a choice willingly made, but rather something we felt forced into in order to look after the charity.” The turmoil within Sentebale raises significant concerns regarding the organization’s future as it continues to serve vulnerable communities in a region facing immense challenges.
