'Troubling' Details of Prince Harry’s Charity Feud Revealed in Unseen Resignation Letter
After Sentebale sued Prince Harry for defamation, a resurfaced resignation letter from its trustees reveals another side to the story.
Prince Harry found himself in the eye of the storm last week after he was sued over a cause close to his heart. On April 10, a March 24 court filing from his charity, Sentebale, became public, accusing the Duke of Sussex and his trustees of defamation. As tensions catapult into chaos, an unseen resignation letter from his trustees has now resurfaced, pulling back the curtain on the true extent of their long-simmering feud.
Sentebale, which was founded by Harry in honor of his late mother, Princess Diana, is now in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. As reported by The Telegraph, the Duke's long-standing rift began when Sentebale's former board collectively resigned after accusing its chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, of intimidation and misconduct. Their resignation letter was sent after the trustees decided to step down in March 2025 in protest of Chandauka's alleged unprofessionalism. In it, they wrote that they had asked Chandauka to step down after months of 'significant issues,' adding that it was 'not a sudden decision' but rather reached after encountering numerous roadblocks. They also claimed a 'breakdown' of their bond with trustees and major funders, and accused the chair of manipulating board minutes.
Further complicating matters, they alleged that Chandauka's response to their requests was by making "vague and deeply troubling allegations" to "threaten and intimidate the board, its patrons, and a donor." The dispute reached its boiling point when she reportedly sought a High Court injunction to block a board meeting that was to decide her fate in the charity. The trustees argued, "There can be no more damning evidence of your failure to act as a leader capable of putting the charity's best interests first." They warned that the situation had become 'untenable' and that the charity faced 'irreparable damage,' adding, "This attack from within threatens to destroy Sentebale for good."
At the time, Chandauka pushed back against the trustees, instead levying counter-allegations about Harry's role in the crisis. In an interview, she said, "The number one risk for this organization was the toxicity of its lead patron's brand," suggesting that his public profile had created difficulty for Sentebale to attract staff and donors. In solidarity with the board of trustees, Harry and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, stepped down from their positions, citing concerns over the charity's leadership and direction.
Fast forward to April 2026, and Sentebale has turned the tables on Harry, accusing him of defamation. Their lawsuit claims that the Duke of Sussex allegedly played a role in contributing to a smear campaign about the charity, which ended up hurting its public image and impacting its operations. In response, a spokesperson for Harry told Reuters, "It is extraordinary that charitable funds are now being used to pursue legal action against the very people who built and supported the organization for nearly two decades, rather than being directed to the communities the charity was created to serve."
