Charity Commission Clears Prince Harry of Bullying Allegations in Sentebale Dispute

Download IPFS

The Charity Commission has concluded its investigation into allegations of bullying and harassment at Sentebale, the charity co-founded by Prince Harry, finding no evidence to support the claims. The inquiry followed public accusations made by the charity’s chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, which sparked significant media attention earlier this year.

In March 2025, Prince Harry and several trustees resigned from Sentebale, a charity established to support children affected by HIV in Lesotho and Botswana. The departures were accompanied by a request for Dr Chandauka to step down from her position as chair, with those resigning stating it was in the best interest of the organisation. Shortly after, Dr Chandauka appeared on Sky News’ Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, where she accused the Duke of Sussex of “harassment and bullying at scale”. She alleged that Prince Harry had authorised the release of damaging information externally without prior consultation with the board or chair.

Despite the severity of the claims, the Charity Commission found no evidence of systemic bullying, harassment, or inappropriate conduct by Prince Harry or other senior figures at the charity. However, it criticised both sides for allowing internal disagreements to unfold in the public domain, stating that the dispute had “severely impacted the charity’s reputation and risked undermining public trust in charities more generally”.

The Commission acknowledged that multiple individuals involved in the matter perceived they had been mistreated, but concluded there was no evidence of widespread misconduct. It also found no evidence to support claims of governance overreach by either Dr Chandauka or Prince Harry.

Nevertheless, the regulator highlighted significant organisational shortcomings. The Commission noted that a lack of clearly defined roles and responsibilities contributed to the tensions that ultimately led to resignations among trustees and the departure of both founding patrons. These internal ambiguities were cited as a key factor in the breakdown of leadership at Sentebale.

In response to the findings, a spokesperson for Prince Harry said it was “unsurprising” that the Commission had cleared him of wrongdoing. However, they expressed disappointment with the overall report, stating that “the consequences of the current chair’s actions will not be borne by her, but by the children who rely on Sentebale’s support”. The statement also reaffirmed the prince’s commitment to continue supporting the children of Lesotho and Botswana through other means.

Dr Chandauka welcomed the Commission’s conclusions regarding governance concerns, saying she had raised similar issues privately as early as February 2025. She also criticised the media response that followed the resignations on 24 March, describing it as an “unexpected adverse media campaign” and referencing “unacceptable behaviours displayed in private”.

While the Charity Commission’s report brings closure to the allegations against Prince Harry, the damage to Sentebale’s public standing remains a point of concern. The case underscores the importance of internal clarity and responsible governance, particularly in high-profile charitable organisations.