Prince Harry’s Charity in Crisis: Board Resignations, Allegations of Bullying, and Accusations of Sussex PR Manipulation

Prince Harry’s once-celebrated African charity is now caught in a firestorm of resignations, investigations, and internal conflict—just weeks after the Duke of Sussex stepped down from its board.

Sentebale, the nonprofit Harry co-founded in 2006 with Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso to support young people affected by HIV and poverty, is reeling after South African business leader Nerissa Naidu abruptly resigned from the board. Her decision, which came less than a month after her March 25 appointment, leaves the organization barely afloat with the minimum three trustees required to function.

In a carefully worded statement, the charity acknowledged Naidu’s “tremendous support,” but described the moment as “a particularly difficult time to have joined the organization.” Naidu, a respected executive in global finance, declined public comment. Sources familiar with the board’s inner workings suggest her exit was triggered by growing discontent behind the scenes.

Her departure is just the latest in a series of setbacks. It follows the bombshell resignation of Prince Harry himself, who officially cut ties with the charity in late March. In a statement at the time, Harry, 40, expressed that he was “devastated” and “in shock” over having to walk away from a cause he once described as “deeply personal.”

But the full picture is far more fraught.

Just days after Harry’s departure, board chair Dr. Sophie Chandauka made explosive claims in internal communications that sent shockwaves through the nonprofit world. In a confidential letter, later confirmed by The Times of London, she accused fellow trustees of “harassment, bullying, and misogynoir”—a term describing misogyny directed specifically at Black women.

Chandauka also alleged that Harry had tried to leverage Sentebale as “an extension of the Sussex PR machine,” claiming he used the charity to help rehabilitate Meghan Markle’s public image following their royal exit.

“It was clear to many of us that the organization was being redirected in ways that did not serve its mission,” a former staffer, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Daily Dispatch. “There were growing tensions about influence, media strategy, and how the Sussex name was being used.”

In a joint statement with Prince Seeiso, Harry acknowledged the breakdown in trust, saying their relationship with Chandauka had become “beyond repair.” Both supported a Charity Commission investigation, which officially launched in April following multiple whistleblower complaints.

The drama has left many in the nonprofit sector stunned.

“This is not a typical case of mismanagement—it’s an organizational implosion with royal baggage,” said Kendra Hall, a London-based expert on nonprofit governance. “The combination of celebrity influence, cross-continental leadership, and unresolved racial dynamics created a pressure cooker.”

Adding fuel to the fire, a Lesotho official—Chief Khoabane Theko—recently accused Harry of emotionally abandoning the charity after marrying Meghan Markle and moving to the United States in 2020. “He lost interest. That killed the spirit,” Theko told The Africa Herald. “People noticed. The kids noticed.”

Since their move to California, the Sussexes have launched multiple high-profile media ventures but have faced criticism for seemingly shifting focus away from earlier philanthropic commitments.

Despite the turmoil, Sentebale has vowed to continue its mission. The charity is expected to release the findings of its internal review later this spring, just as scrutiny from British regulators intensifies.

As the organization fights to survive, many are left wondering: Did Sentebale fall victim to outside pressures—or to the influence of its most famous founder?

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