Harry and Meghan have been out-victimed
There is an irony at the heart of the row that has engulfed Sentebale, Prince Harry's African charity.
Sophie Chandauka, who was appointed chairman of Sentebale in mid-2023, has accused the charity's board of bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir – a form of prejudice directed at black women – in an official complaint sent to the Charity Commission.
A source close to the trustees, who resigned en masse this month alongside the Duke of Sussex and his co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, claimed Ms Chandauka, a Zimbabwe-born lawyer, alleged racism when she realised things were not going her way.
'She's definitely playing the race card and openly,' the source said.
'This is her plan. As soon as anyone turns against her, she brings the race card in and she comes for you.'
Sound familiar? Didn't Harry and Meghan use exactly the same tactic when faced with criticism?Not only did the couple allege that the royals themselves were racist but that headlines that didn't cast the Duchess, particularly, in an overwhelmingly positive light, must have been fuelled by 'unconscious bias'?
This false narrative was given rocket fuel by social media trolls, known as the Sussex Squad, who accused journalists like me of being 'racist', 'white supremacist' and 'a Nazi' simply for questioning Meghan's 'truth'. There was no evidence whatsoever to back up allegations of racism – but they were cast around like confetti, anyway.
Even former Commons speaker John Bercow jumped on the bandwagon, insisting in 2020: 'I want to say that I believe unequivocally that Meghan has been the victim of explicit and obnoxious racism. I am crystal clear about that. She has been subjected to racism, sexism and misogyny.'
Neither Ms Chandauka nor the Sussexes are the victims here. The real victims of this unseemly war of words are the AIDS and HIV afflicted children of Lesotho who rely on Sentebale's support. Harry and Meghan are in no position to decry the fact that we now live in a world where, if a woman of colour is called out she is automatically a victim of 'misogynoir' and anyone who disagrees is a racist.
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