Prince Harry’s Africa-based charity, Sentebale, has dismissed nearly all of its London staff amid a deepening financial crisis triggered by a bitter dispute with its former chairwoman. Donations plummeted following a public falling-out between the Duke of Sussex, 40, and Sophie Chandauka, 47, which led to allegations of racism and misogyny, the resignation of the board, and a highly critical report by the Charity Commission. Harry co-founded Sentebale in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to tackle HIV/AIDS and poverty in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana.
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The charity has now been forced to let go four of its five London employees, including its global head of finance and compliance, while additional redundancies have been made within its African programmes. In total, around 27 staff members have departed in recent months. A redundancy letter from April, seen by The Times, informed employees that Sentebale “does not have” donor funding and is entering a period of “retrenchment”. Sources described “a lot of churn” within the organisation as staff left or were dismissed.
Tensions escalated earlier this year after trustees questioned Ms Chandauka over a £400,000 consultancy bill they claimed had delivered little value. She was asked to step down but instead lodged complaints with the Charity Commission, alleging bullying, misogyny and racism. In March, all of Sentebale’s trustees resigned en masse, citing her “almost dictatorial” management style. Both Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso also stepped down as patrons. The Charity Commission later criticised both sides for allowing the dispute to unfold so publicly, warning it had “severely damaged” the charity’s reputation and risked eroding wider trust in the sector.
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Although the regulator found no evidence of a culture of bullying, harassment or misogyny within Sentebale, the controversy has left the organisation struggling to regain stability. The charity has defended its decision to reduce staff numbers, describing the move as “deliberate and responsible” given ongoing funding uncertainty. A spokesman for the Duke of Sussex declined to comment.
