Ex-Trustees of Prince Harry’s African Charity ‘Gravely Concerned’ for Its Future

The former trustees of Prince Harry’s African charity are speaking out after an official inquiry found fault on all sides following a bitter internal conflict.

The trustees say they are “gravely concerned” for the future of the charity that Harry, 40, and his friend Prince Seeiso of Lesotho set up nearly two decades ago. Sentebale — meaning forget-me-not in Lesotho’s language — was set up by the princes in memory of their late mothers, Princess Diana and Queen ‘Mamohato, to help support young people in Lesotho, especially amid the HIV and AIDS crisis in the southern African country.

Harry and his co-founder Seeiso, 59, left their roles as patrons in March in solidarity with the then-trustees who had resigned in a dispute with chairperson Dr. Sophie Chandauka.

Late on Aug. 5, the Charity Commission for England and Wales released its verdict following its inquiry that began in April. It criticized both sides but left the non-profit as it was, with its controversial chairperson, Dr. Chandauka, still in place.

The commission said the conflict had been allowed “to play out publicly” and cited poor internal governance and said a “failure to resolve disputes internally severely impacted the charity’s reputation and risked undermining public trust in charities more generally.”

Its review said it found no evidence of “widespread or systemic bullying, harassment, misogyny or misogynoir” at Sentebale, following an investigation into claims made by the charity’s current chair. The Commission also found no “overreach” by either Chandauka or Prince Harry.

In a statement to PEOPLE, the former trustees reacted saying, “We are disheartened by the way in which the Charity Commission has chosen to ignore key concerns and irrefutable evidence raised with them regarding the leadership and oversight of Sentebale’s Chair.”

“We accept there is always room to strengthen governance of an organization, which is why we welcomed a governance review by the Chair initiated in February 2024, and that should have only taken a matter of months — we unfortunately never saw a report or any outcomes enacted, more than two years into her tenure.”

“We remain gravely concerned for the future of the charity and the well-being of the communities we served for 19 years, following the mission set out by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso in honor of their mothers,” the statement concluded.

In a follow-up to their initial statement, Sentebale said, “It provides Sentebale with some degree of reassurance that the Charity Commission has not identified widespread bullying within the charity, but the Commission has acknowledged the strong perception of ill treatment felt by a number of parties to the dispute and the impact this may have had on them personally.”

“The Charity Commission is explicitly clear, including in its public guidance, that it is not the Commission’s responsibility to adjudicate or mediate internal disputes. This would include individual allegations of bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir, etc,” they added. “As a result, the Commission has not investigated any individual allegations, and therefore has not made any findings in relation to individuals, including Prince Harry. The issues not investigated by the Commission can and may be dealt with through avenues more appropriate than the Commission.”

Sentebale’s current board said it accepted the Charity Commission’s findings and committed to carrying out the regulator’s recommendations. In a statement, the organization said it supported the Commission’s Regulatory Action Plan issued to address their internal dispute policy, improve the charity’s complaints and whistleblowing procedures and establish clearer processes for delegating authority. The Commission will monitor progress in the Action Plan, which includes timescales.

Dr. Chandauka said, “I appreciate the Charity Commission for its conclusions, which confirm the governance concerns I raised privately in February 2025. The experience was intense, and it became a test of our strategic clarity and operational resilience.”

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Prince Harry’s spokesperson said late on Aug. 5 that the report fell “troublingly short in many regards.” The charity “has been a deeply personal and transformative mission for Prince Harry, established to serve some of the most vulnerable children in Lesotho and Botswana,” the statement added. “For 19 years, its dedicated staff and steadfast supporters have provided vital care to over 100,000 young people across southern Africa, including young people living with HIV/AIDS and those facing mental health challenges.”

“As custodians of this once brilliant charity, Prince Seeiso, Prince Harry and the former Board of Trustees helped grow Sentebale from the seed of an idea to — like its namesake — a flowering force for good. With the original mission of Sentebale firmly in mind — and in honour of the legacy he and Prince Seeiso began — The Duke of Sussex will now focus on finding new ways to continue supporting the children of Lesotho and Botswana.”

When the row burst into the open in March, Harry and Seeiso said they were “truly heartbroken” that the trustees felt forced to step down. The princes said that Sentebale’s trustees asked Dr. Chandauka to step down, and she sued to remain chair.

“With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as Patrons of the organization until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same. It is devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation.”

The princes added, “What’s transpired is unthinkable. 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. ”

For her part, Dr. Chandauka spoke out in several interviews to share her side of the story. In a March 29 interview with the Financial Times, the Zimbabwean corporate finance lawyer said her relationship with Prince Harry took a turn after she refused his team’s request to defend his wife, Meghan Markle, after an awkward photo moment between them at a Sentebale event in April 2024 led to negative media coverage.

Harry sees no way back to the charity while Dr. Chandauka is in place, a source close to him has told PEOPLE.

Allies of Harry say he has not decided what to do next and is pondering the future direction he will take. But one thing is not in doubt — his commitment to the young people of Lesotho and Botswana that Sentebale did so much for over almost two decades. Harry, the source told PEOPLE, remains “absolutely dedicated to supporting the children of Lesotho and Botswana.”

“How that happens, he will keep his options open. Whether that means raising money for pre-existing charities that are doing good work in those countries or establishing something independent and new,” the source added. “It is very early days.”