London, United Kingdom – Prince Harry expressed shock at his decision to step down as a patron of Sentebale, a British charity he co-founded to support young people affected by HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. The prince’s departure came amidst a disagreement between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board.
In 2006, Prince Harry established Sentebale in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana, who tragically passed away in a car accident in Paris nine years earlier. The charity’s name, Sentebale, translates to “forget-me-not” in the local language of Lesotho in southern Africa.
Co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, along with the board of trustees, stood by Prince Harry in his decision to leave Sentebale following a dispute with chair Sophie Chandauka. Chandauka has taken legal action to contest her removal from the position.
In a joint statement published on Sky News, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso expressed their disappointment at the breakdown of relations between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board. Having relocated to California with his wife Meghan and two children, Prince Harry stepped back from his royal duties in 2020 but remains dedicated to charitable work, particularly in Africa.
The statement emphasized that the trustees acted in the charity’s best interests by requesting the chair to resign. Despite their decision to no longer serve as patrons, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso affirmed their ongoing commitment as founders of Sentebale and highlighted the organization’s potential under proper guidance.
Efforts to reach out to Britain’s Charity Commission and Sentebale for comments on the matter have been made but remain unanswered at this time.