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Prince Harry Steps Down from Sentebale, the Charity Honoring Princess Diana

ByJames William

Prince Harry Resigns from the ‘Sentebale’ Charity Organization Founded in 2006 to Honor His Late Mother, Princess Diana

Helping underprivileged children and youth in Lesotho and Botswana has been the main focus of Sentebale, which translates to “forget-me-not” in Sesotho.

In 2006, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho co-founded the charity Sentebale in memory of their late mothers, Princess Diana and Queen Mamahato.

Prince Harry has resigned from his position there. In a lengthy statement, they explained their reasoning and expressed how deeply sad they were by the choice.

In support of and solidarity with the board of trustees, who have also been forced to step down, Harry and Seeiso said, “With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as Patrons of the organization until further notice.” It is heartbreaking that there is an impossible scenario because of the irreparable breakdown in the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the board chair.

After a disagreement with chairwoman Dr. Sophie Chandauka, the trustees—Thomas Boucher, Mark Dyer, Audrey Kgosidintsi, Dr. Kelello Lerotholi, and Damian West—resigned.

When the trustees demanded that Dr. Chandauka resign, alleging issues with the charity’s management, the conflict intensified. Rather than that, she sued the organization, which caused more chaos.

As a result, the previous trustees all made their resignation public. According to their statement, “We are deeply proud to have supported the visionary work of the Founding Patrons Prince Seeiso and Prince Harry, who founded Sentebale in memory of their mothers.”

They emphasized their dedication to the organization’s goals and said that leaving was a painful but essential choice. The former trustees were sorry that internal conflicts turned into a legal action.

“We were forced to resign from our posts because we could not morally permit Sentebale to take on that financial and legal load. We were compelled to make this decision in order to care for the charity, not because we wanted to,” they clarified.

Notwithstanding their challenging decision, they believed that their exit would stabilize the company and guarantee that its essential work could go on for the benefit of its employees and the communities it serves.

Seeiso and Prince Harry thanked the trustees for their commitment over the years and lamented that the circumstances necessitated such extreme actions.

“What has happened is unimaginable. We are shocked that we must do this, but we will be discussing all of our worries with the Charity Commission about how this happened because we still owe it to Sentebale’s recipients,” they disclosed.

Despite their resignation as Sentebale patrons, Harry and Seeiso stated that their relationship with the charity has not changed.

Additionally, the two remain dedicated to its mission and the people it helps. As its creators, they are aware of the charity’s potential and the influence that capable leadership can have.

Sentebale, however, claimed that neither Harry nor Seeiso, its royal supporters, had formally resigned. On March 25, 2025, the organization also announced a reorganization of its board to bring in professionals to help with its continuous transformation initiatives.

Named after the Sesotho phrase for “forget-me-not,” the group has a long history of helping vulnerable youth in Botswana and Lesotho.

In 2004, Harry made his first trip to Lesotho, where he saw directly the difficulties that many youngsters confront. He and Seeiso co-founded Sentebale to assist underprivileged youth after being inspired by what they seen.

Harry viewed Sentebale as a means of carrying on Princess Diana’s legacy of supporting AIDS patients.

The organization’s website states that it was “strongly inspired by their mothers, Princess Diana and Queen Mamahato—strong women who used their platforms to bring hope and assistance to vulnerable communities and raise awareness about difficult subjects.”

As a result, the organization’s first focus was on tackling the stigma associated with HIV, which had caused many children to become orphans. In order to empower young people in Lesotho and Botswana, Sentebale developed networks of clubs, camps, and initiatives in addition to building the Mamahato Centre.

“Today, through our networks of clubs, camps and programs across both Lesotho and Botswana, we help children and young adults to learn that they can go on to live happy and productive lives, despite being HIV positive,” stated Harry.

The organization’s official website states, “As our work expands, young people remain at the centre – we listen to their needs and expectations, ensuring they are safe, confident, and able to lead and advocate for themselves and their peers.”

The organization’s chair during the dispute, Dr. Chandauka, has also come out, characterizing the ongoing scenario as a case of a woman who dared to speak out against workplace misconduct, poor leadership, and governance failings.

She highlighted her bravery in bringing to light claims of discrimination, bullying, harassment, and misuse of authority, pointing out that attempts were made to hide these problems.

Astute readers may wonder why the board chair would denounce her own trustees to the charity commission. She asked in a statement, “If the case had no merit, why would the High Court of England and Wales accept her application to hear the matter at all?”

According to Dr. Chandauka, her acts were motivated by the values of justice and treating everyone equally, irrespective of their financial situation or social standing. She did point out that those who disagreed with these principles had resisted her attempts.

“There are people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat people and then play the victim card and use the very press they disdain to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct,” stated Dr. Chandauka in a press release.

Dr. Chandauka stressed that her position at Sentebale was not a personal undertaking that she could just abandon when questioned, which is why she refused to step down.

She emphasized that she refused to be intimidated and that she was an African woman with access to a top-notch education and employment. She presented her viewpoint as an advocate for other women who may not have the means or opportunity to express themselves.

“I will continue to faithfully perform my role as Chair of the Board, and I look forward to the opportunity to work with others who are interested in issues of health, wealth and climate resilience for young people in Africa,” said Dr. Chandauka.

After serving on the board of Sentebale from 2009 to 2015, Dr. Chandauka was named Chair of the organization in July 2023. She has experience as a leader in a variety of fields, such as biotechnology, technology, and finance.

She is the chair and co-founder of Nandi Life Sciences, a biotechnology business based in the United States that specializes in creating therapies for autoimmune disorders and rare tumors.

She has held senior corporate positions with well-known international companies like Virgin Money, Morgan Stanley, and Meta during her career, where she was instrumental in capital-raising initiatives.

In addition to her work in business, Chandauka is a fervent supporter of inclusion, equity, and diversity. Her contributions to diversity in business have earned her an MBE, and she has spearheaded programs including the Black British Business Awards.

She is originally from Southern Africa and has worked and studied in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. She was seen the ideal choice to head Sentebale due to her broad qualifications, and she has managed to maintain the role in spite of the continuous unrest. She presently sits on a number of advisory boards as well.

Carmel Gaillard, Executive Director of Sentebale, has also offered insight into the difficulties the organization is currently facing. She admitted that major organizational changes might occasionally result in conflict.

Gaillard acknowledged the challenging decision made by the charity’s co-founding patrons to resign and thanked the departing trustees for their services.

“We are still grateful for their early leadership and belief in our cause, which helped lay the groundwork for our work. She underlined, “They will always be the Founders of Sentebale.”

Gaillard underlined the significance of upholding high standards as they move to a new board and restated the organization’s dedication to sound governance.

Additionally, she emphasized that Sentebale’s teams in Lesotho and Botswana are its main strength. These teams are still working closely with youth, offering vital programs that address issues connected to health, economic resilience, and climate change.

“While Trustees are key for governance and regulation, and Patrons—especially Founders—are an honour to have, it’s the people in the field who are advancing the work, no matter what,” Gaillard stated.

In order to help children and youth in Southern Africa have better health, more robust livelihoods, and climate resilience so they may create a better future, Gaillard emphasized Sentebale’s everlasting commitment to this cause. “The work continues because they deserve nothing less,” she said once more.

With both sides refusing to back down, Sentebale’s future is still up in the air as the nonprofit deals with the consequences of internal strife and financial difficulties.

The Charity Commission, which regulates charities in England and Wales to maintain public confidence, is aware of governance issues at Sentebale, according to a representative for the commission.

In order to decide whether regulatory actions are required, the commission is now analyzing the situation.

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