Prince Harry Reeling From 'Hostile Takeover'—But he May Have a Plan
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Prince Harry feels his HIV and AIDS charity set up in Princess Diana's memory was wrenched from him in a "hostile takeover" but there is still a chance he could make a comeback.
The Duke of Sussex and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho created Sentebale to continue the legacy of their mothers and worked with the organization to support children with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana.
However, they both resigned in March over a toxic dispute with the chair, Sophie Chandauka, which wound up being probed by U.K. regulator the Charity Commission.
Prince Harry joins in a confidence building exercise run by the Sentebale charity at the Kasane Health Post, in Kasane, Botswana, on September 26, 2019.
Prince Harry joins in a confidence building exercise run by the Sentebale charity at the Kasane Health Post, in Kasane, Botswana, on September 26, 2019.
Pool/Samir Hussein/WireImage
Harry had hoped the watchdog would force Chandauka out, a source told Newsweek, recognizing his own perspective that she was not fit to run Sentebale.
The Charity Commission, though, wrapped up its case on Tuesday, criticizing both sides and imposing an action plan on the charity, now run by Chandauka.
She remains in charge of Sentebale while Harry, Seeiso and several trustees who resigned alongside them remain frozen out.
Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso Have not Walked Away
There is though, a possible avenue for them to regain control of part of the charity, which is being actively explored.
A source close to the two princes told Newsweek: "There are a lot of complexities to the governance structure of Sentebale, which means we're not entirely clear as to, for example, whether or not Sentebale in Lesotho is a separate organization and charity to Sentebale in the U.K. And it's something that Prince Seeiso is exploring."
If there is a legal division then it is not impossible that the princes could regain control of the charity's Lesotho division
"If Prince Seeiso can find a way to extricate Sentebale in Lesotho from Sophie Chandauka he would do it in a heart beat," the source said. "If that were the case, then I think there is a world in which Prince Harry would love to work with Prince Seeiso again in effectively continuing the good work the pair have done for nearly the last two decades."
Nothing is certain, however, and it is possible the plan will not succeed, leaving the two princes contemplating other avenues for helping children in Lesotho and Botswana.
Prince Harry and Seeiso 'Absolutely Devastated'
The loss of Sentebale hit Harry hard. He was cleared of major allegations by Chandauka of "bullying and harassment at scale," while the former trustees more generally were also cleared of misogyny and misogynoir, racism targeting Black women.
But the source close to Harry and Seeiso told Newsweek that the commission's decision to leave Chandauka in charge showed it was a "toothless tiger."
"Prince Seeiso and Prince Harry are absolutely devastated by what Sophie has effectively done, which is a hostile takeover of this charity," the source said. "It is a charity that Seeiso and Harry set up 19 years ago and certainly in Harry's adult lifetime its been his life's work.
"It was set up in part to honor the work of both Queen 'Mamohato (Seeiso's mother) and Princess Diana and the legacy of their work in Africa to support a lot of people living with HIV/AIDS.
"It's a charity that they've put their blood sweat and tears into over the last 19 years and a huge amount of their own personal wealth as well."
They also suspect that Chandauka's reign at the top of Sentebale may run into serious problems if she is not able to generate funding.
"The numbers won't lie," the source said. "I think what you'll see is a charity that in the last 12 months has tanked under the operational leadership of Sophie and her three trusties."
"To have a regulatory action plan imposed on you by the Charity Commission, that's not a good thing," they added.
How Sophie Chandauka Reacted to Charity Commission Ruling
Chandauka said in a statement released to Newsweek: "The unexpected adverse media campaign that was launched by those who resigned on 24 March 2025 has caused incalculable damage and offers a glimpse of the unacceptable behaviours displayed in private.
"We are emerging not just grateful to have survived, but stronger: more focused, better governed, boldly ambitious and with our dignity intact.
"Despite the recent turbulence, we will always be inspired by the vision of our Founders, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, who established Sentebale in memory of their precious mothers, Princess Diana and Queen 'Mamohato.
"To all who believe in our mission: please walk with us as Sentebale recovers, renews, and rises to meet the hopes and expectations of the next generation."
"We have continued to directly serve children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana with the steadfast support of long-standing funders, strategic partners, and community leaders," she added.
What the Charity Commission Said
The Charity Commission criticized both sides for the public nature of the dispute and found no evidence of "widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity."
However, the commission "has acknowledged the strong perception of ill treatment felt by a number of parties to the dispute and the impact this may have had on them personally."
It imposed a Regulatory Action Plan to strengthen governance which it also said "sets out the importance of the trustees securing sufficient funding to enable the charity to deliver for its beneficiaries."
David Holdsworth, chief executive of the Charity Commission, said: "Passion for a cause is the bedrock of volunteering and charity, delivering positive impact for millions of people here at home and abroad every day. However, in the rare cases when things go wrong, it is often because that very passion has become a weakness rather than a strength.
"Sentebale's problems played out in the public eye, enabling a damaging dispute to harm the charity's reputation, risk overshadowing its many achievements, and jeopardizing the charity's ability to deliver for the very beneficiaries it was created to serve."
What the Former Sentebale Trustees Said
A statement from the former trustees of Sentebale said: "We are disheartened by the way in which the Charity Commission has chosen to ignore key concerns and irrefutable evidence raised with them regarding the leadership and oversight of Sentebale's Chair.
"We accept there is always room to strengthen governance of an organisation, which is why we welcomed a governance review by the Chair initiated in February 2024, and that should have only taken a matter of months - we unfortunately never saw a report or any outcomes enacted, more than two years into her tenure.
"We remain gravely concerned for the future of the charity and the wellbeing of the communities we served for 19 years, following the mission set out by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso in honour of their mothers."
Jack Royston is chief royal correspondent for Newsweek, based in London. You can find him on X, formerly Twitter, at @jack_royston and read his stories on Newsweek's The Royals Facebook page.
Do you have a question about King Charles III and Queen Camilla, Prince William and Princess Kate, Meghan and Prince Harry, or their family that you would like our experienced royal correspondents to answer? Email royals@newsweek.com. We'd love to hear from you.
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