THE head of Prince Harry’s former charity has accused him of “harassment and bullying at scale”.
Dr Sophie Chandauka yesterday hit out at the Sussexes, and said donations to Sentebale were down since they quit as working royals.
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Prince Harry, pictured with Meghan Markle, was accused of hijacking a charity fundraiser polo match for his Netflix showCredit: Reuters
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Dr Sophie Chandauka said Meghan caused chaos by arriving at the last minute and disrupting a photocallCredit: PA
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Dr Chandauka said the couple’s brand was ‘toxic’Credit: AP
She accused Harry of putting his Netflix show ahead of fundraising, telling how he and wife Meghan caused major disruption to a charity polo event.
The lawyer said the couple’s brand was “toxic”, and Harry tried unsuccessfully to remove her before he resigned last week as patron.
Harry, 40, and charity co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho issued a bombshell resignation statement last week, claiming the board’s relations with chairwoman Dr Chandauka had “broken down beyond repair”.
She ferociously hit back yesterday, saying: “Prince Harry authorised the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world without informing me or my country directors, or my executive director.
“And can you imagine what that attack has done for me, on me and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organisations and their family?
“That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale.”
Dr Chandauka, who has led the charity since 2023, said Harry wanted to “eject me from the organisation and this went on for months . . . through bullying, harassment. I have documentation”.
When this failed, she said Harry and his team briefed major sponsors against her.
Sources say relations between the pair went downhill after Harry tried to hijack a 2024 polo fundraiser, causing it to be rearranged.
In an interivew with Sky News’ Trevor Phillips, shown yesterday, Dr Chandauka said a family had generously offered the use of their grounds at a discount.
But a month before, “Harry called the team and said, ‘I’m doing a Netflix show, and I would love to bring a camera crew so that I can include some footage’”.
She went on: “The team called me and tell me, ‘Oh, Prince Harry’s made this request, so we’re doing the things’. I said, ‘You can’t be doing the things without seeking consent from the property owners, the sponsors, all the guests’.
“Nobody signed up into being on a Netflix show.”
Dr Chandauka, 47, said that now it had become a “commercial undertaking” the site owner wanted to charge more.
She added: “We couldn’t afford it so now we lost the venue.”
Another was found, in Wellington, Florida, and Meghan said she would not be there.
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An awkward exchange as Meghan ‘rudely’ asks Dr Sophie not to stand next to HarryCredit: Sentebale
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So Dr Sophie ducks under the trophy in front of the mediaCredit: Sentebale
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Dr Chandauka said there were red flags around them as soon as she arrivedCredit: Sentebale
However, she turned up at the last minute with tennis legend Serena Williams “which caused a lot of disruption”.
She said “a lot of people were unhappy because we worked on this for months”.
There was also an awkward exchange on stage when Dr Chandauka was asked not to pose next to Harry as they presented a trophy.
She claimed she was rudely asked twice by Meghan to budge and had to duck under the trophy.
She said: “The international Press captured this, and there was a lot of talk about the Duchess and the choreography on stage and whether she should have been there and her treatment of me.”
Harry later asked the chairwoman to release a statement “in support of the Duchess”.
But she refused, saying: “We’re not setting a precedent by which we become an extension of the Sussex PR machine.”
Dr Chandauka said the Sussexes’ brand has become “toxic” — and there were red flags around them as soon as she arrived.
She conducted a financial review and discovered a “significant correlation” between Harry leaving the UK in 2020 and a drop in donations from major organisations.
She asked her senior executives why they had not raised the issue during board meetings and was stunned by the response. She said:
“The answer is, ‘It’s really difficult to have this conversation because the instruction was, it’s uncomfortable conversation to have with Prince Harry in the room’.”
As relations began to deteriorate between the chairwoman and Harry and the trustees, Dr Chandauka made a complaint about bullying, harassment and misogyny.
She accuses the Duke of Sussex of trying to “interfere” with the investigation.
However, she added that the misogyny did not stem from him and his associates.
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Meghan turned up at the last minute with tennis legend Serena Williams ‘which caused a lot of disruption’Credit: Reuters
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Ingrid Seward said: ‘The polo event most likely signalled the beginning of the end of Dr Chandauka and Harry’s working relationship’Credit: Getty
The Sussexes already have a reputation of being hard to work with.
Last night, royal expert Ingrid Seward said Meghan was likely to be behind the saga, which will further damage their public image.
The editor-in-chief of Majesty magazine suspects she “disliked” Dr Chandauka, was likely “not at her most charming” at the polo match and has been whispering in Harry’s ear ever since.
She said: “The polo event most likely signalled the beginning of the end of Dr Chandauka and Harry’s working relationship.”
She added: “It tarnishes brand Harry and Meghan quite badly.
“It’s yet more proof that they are extremely difficult to work with and another example of an inability to maintain good relationships with people. And Dr Chandauka is a highly intelligent lawyer — I certainly don’t think she would make this stuff up.”
Another royal insider said of the polo event: “Harry’s decision to bring a Netflix camera crew caused huge disruption and Sophie thought Meghan was incredibly disruptive on the day.
“Not only did she turn up unannounced but then caused drama in front of the Press.
“On top of that Harry tried to force her to put a statement out defending Meghan, but Sophie is a highly intelligent woman and not one to be pushed around.”
The Lesotho-based charity was co-founded by Harry and Prince Seeiso in 2006, in honour of Princess Diana.
There was a lot of talk about the Duchess and whether she should have been there and her treatment of me
Dr Chandauka on Meghan at the polo match
It is understood the charity trustees asked Dr Chandauka to step down but when she declined they tried to force a vote. She then filed a High Court challenge to prevent their meeting.
As it was ultimately cancelled, a judge decided that no further action was necessary.
The Charity Commission has confirmed an investigation is under way.
Dr Chandauka’s claims were dismissed as “completely baseless” by former trustees.
A source said they fully expected this “publicity stunt” and reached their collective decision with this in mind.
They added: “They remain firm in their resignation, for the good of the charity, and look forward to the adjudication of the truth.”
But Dr Chandauka remained defiant.
She said: “This is not a vanity project from which I can resign when I’m called to account. I’m an African who has had the privilege of a world-class education and career. I will not be intimidated.”
It comes on the fifth anniversary of Megxit, which saw the Duke and Duchess of Sussex step back from royal duties.
The Queen would not allow a hybrid role in case they used royal engagements for personal gain.
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Harry with Meghan and Dr ChandaukaCredit: PA
