Prince Harry is really upset after having to walk away from a charity he founded in his mother Princess Diana‘s honor.
If you missed it, earlier this week, the Duke of Sussex and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho announced their difficult decision to depart Sentebale, a charity they started in 2006 to help young people in Lesotho and elsewhere in southern Africa amid the HIV/AIDS crisis.
They felt forced to distance themselves after issues broke out between the chairwoman Dr. Sophie Chandauka and the board of trustees, who also quit. Dr. Chandauka filed a lawsuit against the board after they questioned her leadership and tried to get her to resign. Walking away, they felt, was the only option given that the charity wouldn’t be able to withstand legal trouble. Oof.
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Now, Dr. Kelello Lerotholi, one of the trustees who departed, is opening up about how Harry is feeling. Speaking to The Times of London on Thursday, he said he was “worried about the emotional wellbeing of both princes” after breaking the news. He noted:
“I think given their commitment to the welfare of kids, they are torn apart at the thought of looking like they’re abandoning them when they know that they’re not abandoning them.”
Dr. Kelello, who is a cousin of Seeiso and a close friend of Harry, said he thinks of Meghan Markle‘s husband as “family.” Addressing how this charity was set up to honor both their mothers, the ex-trustee added:
“Given how much [the princes] put of themselves and their mothers in this, if you think about this, the name Sentebale, the literal translation is forget-me-not, they clearly named this entity in memory of both their mothers, who were global mothers, I would say. […] And so for me, I don’t understand why if somebody takes over quote unquote the entity without them, what is that entity in remembrance of?”
Oof. Shots fired!
Meanwhile, Dr. Chandauka has accused the board of mismanagement, harassment, and abuse of power — though she didn’t name any specific trustees. In her own statement about the scandal, she said, per People:
“[This is] the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir — and the coverup that ensued.”
While we wouldn’t have guessed it was about Harry, she did seem to call out white men — with the mention of misogyny and misogynoir — the mistreatment of Black women. And she also called out men of privilege, saying:
“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.”
Dr. Chandauka will maintain her role for now — and said she’s focused on “issues of health, wealth and climate resilience for young people in Africa,” insisting that her work is “not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account.” Hmm… Is she keeping this all intentionally vague because of her world-famous former colleague?
The organization is currently under investigation. As for those allegations, Lerotholi denied there ever being an issue of “bullying” or “harassment,” telling The Times:
“I can honestly say in all the meetings that I’ve been involved in, there has been no hint of such. People have been dealing with each other respectfully. Yes, I mean, as there is with any human interaction, there will be time when voices are raised for emphasis or when people feel they’re not being heard, there will be voices raised. But there’s never been a put-down, there’s never been a dismissive tone, there’s never been, you know, at least not in my presence, any of those people being set upon and being made to feel little. I never, not in any single meeting, experienced it.”
While we have no clue which narrative is accurate, it’s worth pointing out that a man who is friends and family with the founders may have a different experience from a woman in charge amid a difficult time for the charity. There are likely very different dynamics at play that could lead to opposing viewpoints.
Holding out hope for the future, the former trustee said there could be a chance the princes could take back control one day, concluding:
“They’re not adverse to working for the kids. That is their commitment and that’s what they want to see happen. It reminds me of the US saying: ‘We shall overcome.’”
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