Latest news with #Chandauka
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince Harry's Sentebale 'Problem' Allegedly 'Started With Meghan' As Duchess 'Never Liked' The Charity Chair
Tensions between Meghan Markle and Dr. Sophie Chandauka reportedly contributed to Prince Harry's abrupt resignation from Sentebale. At a charity polo event, the Duchess of Sussex allegedly snubbed Dr. Chandauka, sparking controversy at the time. The Sentebale chair has since spoken on the moment, claiming that Prince Harry asked her to defend Meghan Markle against the backlash and she refused. Meghan and Dr. Chandauka's alleged strained relationship reportedly played a significant role in Harry's sudden resignation from the organization he helped launch. According to sources close to the situation, 'The problem, though, started with Meghan,' as she 'doesn't like Sophie.' Speaking with the Daily Mail, an insider revealed that things began to unravel following an awkward encounter at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge held in Florida in April 2024. The source claimed Meghan had told organizers she wouldn't attend, only to later arrive at the event with close friend Serena Williams. Dr. Chandauka had reportedly hoped to introduce Meghan to key attendees and donors, but Meghan was allegedly uninterested in engaging. 'She [Dr. Chandauka] wanted to take her around, to introduce her to other people, but Meghan didn't want to mingle or engage with those supporting the event,' the insider said. They added: 'She went off to the tent. Sophie found it rude. Staff working that day were asked to get champagne for Meghan, they were scrambling around — Sentebale and Archewell staff were both having to do that. Sentebale were not happy about this at all.' There was also an uncomfortable exchange between Meghan and Dr. Chandauka during the charity polo event in Florida that didn't go unnoticed. Footage from the event shows Meghan repeatedly encouraging Dr. Chandauka to stand beside her for a group photo rather than next to Harry. 'You want to come over here?' Meghan is heard saying, signaling the Zimbabwean-born finance expert to move. Dr. Chandauka then ducks under the trophy to switch places, prompting Meghan to comment with a brief, 'Lovely.' During a chat with Sky News' Trevor Phillips, Dr. Chandauka noted that the unplanned appearance created coordination issues. "We would have been really excited had we known ahead of time [Meghan was coming], but we didn't," she explained. "And so the choreography went badly on stage because we had too many people on stage." The interaction between Dr. Chandauka and Meghan quickly gained traction online, fueling media speculation. In response to the attention, Harry allegedly requested that Dr. Chandauka release a statement publicly supporting Meghan, which she declined. "Not because I didn't care about the Duchess," Dr. Chandauka explained. "But because I knew what would happen if I did so, number one. And number two, because we cannot be an extension of the Sussexes." A source recently shared with the Daily Telegraph that Harry was not pleased with the chairwoman's refusal to defend Meghan. This allegedly prompted the Duke to chastise her in a personal message that was said to have an "unpleasant" tone and "imperious" language, which left the charity chair "upset." Last month, Harry stepped down from Sentebale, the charity he co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 to honor the legacies of their late mothers. The pair released a joint statement addressing their resignation, calling it a 'devastating' but necessary decision. They cited ongoing tensions between Dr. Chandauka and the board of trustees as the reason for their departure. 'What's transpired is unthinkable,' they said. 'We are in shock that we have to do this.' Harry and Seeiso continued: 'With heavy hearts, we have resigned for our roles as patrons of the organization until further notice, in support of and in solidarity with the board of trustees. It is devastating that the relationship between the charity's trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair.' Despite stepping away from formal roles, Harry, 40, and Seeiso, 58, emphasized their lasting connection to the organization. 'We may no longer be patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care.' However, Dr. Chandauka attributed the resignations of Harry and the charity's board of trustees to what she describes as 'misogynoir' and systemic misconduct within the organization. In an interview with The London Times, Chandauka pushed back against the public narrative surrounding the departures, calling it misleading and rooted in prejudice. 'Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir and the cover-up that ensued,' she said. She went on to suggest that, for Harry, Prince Seeiso, and certain trustees, Sentebale may have been a 'vanity project.' However, she claimed that for her, it has always been about upholding the charity's mission and serving the youth.
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meghan Markle's Polo Snub Allegedly Caused Royal Ruckus
In yet another episode of the long-running soap opera, 'Meghan vs. The Commoners,' the Duchess of Sussex has found herself at the center of what the Daily Mail delicately describes as the 'massive falling out' between Prince Harry and the CEO of his AIDS charity, Sophie Chandauka. Harry quit the charity last week after Chandauka accused him of bullying and harassment 'at scale.' While much attention has focused on a video clip of Meghan Markle ordering Chandauka to move at a polo ceremony, the Daily Mail now reveals that Markle allegedly snubbed Chandauka on arrival at the match as well. The Mail says that Markle RSVP'd 'no' to the charity polo match only to turn up last-minute with a film crew, Serena Williams, and a notable lack of royal charm. According to the Mail, Chandauka greeted Markle warmly, receiving what one source called a 'perfunctory 'hi'' in return before the Duchess vanished into a marquee to sip champagne with Williams. Chandauka had hoped to introduce Markle to donors and guests but was reportedly rebuffed. The Mail reports that staff were 'scrambling' to find champagne for Markle, with both Sentebale and Archewell teams roped into bubbly-fetching duty. One source put it bluntly: 'She went off to the tent. Sophie found it rude.' Things went downhill from there faster than Markle's approval rating. Markle later texted Chandauka—the content remains unknown—and the reply was icy enough to send Harry into a tailspin. One source told the Mail, 'Above all else, it was the way she says Meghan snubbed her on arrival that was the reason she wouldn't issue some kind of supporting statement. 'Meghan then sent something to Sophie, and Sophie responded, and, after that, she [Sophie] was persona non grata,' the source said. 'Harry sided with Meghan—he always does as he is dazzled by her. In his eyes, she can do no wrong, even when it comes to behaving like that at a charity event. He was raging all day about it. 'Any time Meghan is spoken of badly, he gets the hump,' the source added. The Daily Beast has contacted Harry's team for comment. A source in Markle's camp told the Daily Mail that the Duchess is clearly heard 'politely offering assistance' in the trophy footage, telling Chandauka: 'Do you want to come over here?' The sources added that the incident was 'weaponized as a negative attack.' Royal wedding anniversary On April 9, 2025, King Charles III and Queen Camilla will mark their 20th wedding anniversary—a milestone that once seemed improbable amid the turbulence that defined the early years of their relationship. Scrutiny and sorrow shadowed their path to matrimony following the untimely death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 1997. For years, Camilla was cast as the interloper in a royal tragedy, enduring relentless public and press hostility. Yet over time, through quiet resilience, steadfast devotion, and not a little cany media management, she transformed into a respected and essential figure within the royal household. Their wedding in 2005, conducted in a modest civil ceremony at Windsor Guildhall followed by a blessing at St George's Chapel, was a far cry from traditional royal fanfare. Yet it marked a turning point in royal history—a union rooted not in political alliance but enduring affection. The defining moment in Camilla's acceptance came in February 2022, when the late Queen Elizabeth II, in her Platinum Jubilee message, expressed her 'sincere wish' that Camilla be known as Queen Consort upon Charles's accession. With those words, Her Majesty bestowed upon Camilla the ultimate seal of approval—changing public perception and sealing her place in history. In the past year, that bond has proven more vital than ever. King Charles's cancer diagnosis in early 2024 shook the nation, and throughout his treatment, Camilla has been a tireless source of strength and comfort. Those close to the royal household speak of her gentle insistence that he slow down, take rest, and not overextend himself during recovery. It is widely believed that without Camilla's presence, the King's spirit and steadfastness might have faltered. Now, as they prepare for a state visit to Italy to coincide with their anniversary, the monarchy finds itself not only enduring but evolving—anchored in a partnership once considered impossible. Few today would question that Camilla has been instrumental in sustaining both the king's health and his reign. From scandal to sovereignty, her journey has been one of remarkable transformation, and her role in Charles's life—both personal and public—is now viewed not as a footnote but as a foundation.
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Sentebale row: a blow for Prince Harry
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Prince Harry was just 20 when he visited Lesotho during his gap year, said Tessa Dunlop in The Independent. His adolescence had been turbulent and self-destructive, but in the tiny landlocked country he found "meaning" and purpose. Two years later, he and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho founded Sentebale – a charity dedicated to orphans of the Aids epidemic – in memory of their late mothers. The cause was clearly very close to Harry's heart, and he raised millions for it; so "no one was surprised" when Sentebale (which translates as "forget me not", his mother's favourite flower) remained in the Sussexes' portfolio after they left the UK. Last week, however, Harry revealed that he had made the "devastating" decision to stand down as its patron, in solidarity with its trustees. Mainly members of his "establishment old guard", they had resigned following a power struggle with its new chair, Sophie Chandauka, a Zimbabwean lawyer and former trustee. In the war of words this triggered, few facts are agreed, said Roya Nikkhah in The Sunday Times. The trustees have briefed that Chandauka had wasted vast sums on consultancy fees, in a failed effort to attract US donors. She denies this, and counter-claims that the charity had been damaged by the "toxicity of its lead patron's brand" – arguing that Harry's fall out with his family had deterred commercial partners. She says the trustees refused to discuss this, and accuses them of weak management, bullying, "misogyny and misogynoir". She also implies that Harry had used the charity to enhance the Sussex brand. She claims that he forced a fundraising polo match to be moved, so that he could bring a Netflix camera crew; and that he'd ordered her to issue a public defence of his wife Meghan, who had turned up at the event unexpectedly, and been criticised for seeming to "manage" Chandauka out of a photocall with Harry. Now, she says the duke is playing the "victim card", while "unleashing the Sussex machine" against her. Chandauka aimed her attacks well, said Richard Kay in the Daily Mail. She has turned Harry's victim status against him, and undermined his claim to be "awake" to injustice. And she has a point about the charity's funding: these days, it doesn't look good for a charity serving Africa's poor to be mainly funded by white men playing polo. Still, you have to feel for Harry. Sentebale was his passion project and, without it, his in-tray will look even emptier, while his wife's is "overflowing". Whoever is to blame, this dispute is surely "a crushing blow" for the prince.
Sky News
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Sky News
'Truth and reconciliation': What hopes are there for the future of Prince Harry's charity?
"Truth and reconciliation" - it felt like an interesting phrase after everything that's been said in the past two weeks, but it came from a source close to the current Sentebale team, when I asked if they could really see any chance of rebuilding what has gone wrong. It's been explosive. First, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, the founders, said they'd taken the "heartbreaking" decision to step away in solidarity with the trustees, who had found working with the chair Dr Sophie Chandauka "untenable". Then Dr Chandauka, speaking to Trevor Phillips on Sky News last Sunday, accused Prince Harry of " harassment and bullying at scale". A source close to the charity's former trustees described her allegations as "categorically false" and "completely baseless". This week I've been in communication with those on both sides. The acrimony and anger have been palpable, but equally clear from my conversations has been the desire on all sides to try and explain what they feel caused this catastrophic breakdown. All parties are keen "that polo match" doesn't become the distraction - the match where it looked like Dr Chandauka and the Sussexes had fallen out. All of those involved want that to be put to one side, as they tell me there are much more fundamental questions that need to be answered. Taking on board everything I've been told, you can largely boil it down to three main areas. How was the charity being run? I've been told work had been going on for some time internally to look at the governance of Sentebale. Was the current setup - how it was being run and the composition of the chair, trustees and the people in those roles - appropriate for a charity heading towards its 20th anniversary? What was the future for Sentebale? Set up because of a genuine heartfelt desire to help young people in Lesotho with HIV and AIDS, was it time for them to broaden that remit? Were there obstacles to those changes happening? But also did it really need to fundamentally change? And financially what was going on? Again a lot has been said by both sides about money spent on consultants' fees, and who may have been responsible for sponsors stepping away, and fundraising levels falling. On Friday, the Charity Commission confirmed it has now opened a compliance case to assess concerns raised about the charity. 2:04 In a statement, Dr Chandauka said: "We hope that, together, these actions will give the general public, our colleagues, partners, supporters, donors and the communities we serve comfort that Sentebale and its new board of trustees are acting appropriately to demonstrate and ensure good governance and a healthy culture for Sentebale to thrive." Prince Harry's statement, also representing Prince Seeiso and the former trustees, said: "We share in the relief that the Charity Commission confirmed they will be conducting a robust inquiry. We fully expect it will unveil the truth that collectively forced us to resign. We remain hopeful this will allow for the charity to be put in the right hands immediately, for the sake of the communities we serve." One insider, still working for the charity, did tell me they still had some hope that there may come a time when there would be some form of "truth and reconciliation process". They added that they have always felt "if you keep your eye on the charitable objective, then I've often found everything falls into place". Ultimately, at times this week, it has felt like that has been lost from this story. With all the blame and accusations flying around, there's been little attention on the young people they support, and those they want to help in the future, that could seriously lose out. Sentebale means so much to Harry, I had in some ways expected more of a robust response to the allegations being laid firmly at his door. 20:17 In recent years, unleashed from the constraints of royal life, he hasn't been one to hold back. But you wonder how much everything else that's been going on at home this week prevented him from more publicly responding. My inbox has had constant updates from Meghan's brand "As Ever", you have to remember this was meant to be Meghan's big week, where her new products, including flower sprinkles and raspberry spread, finally went on sale and sold out within hours. In some ways that context underlines one of the difficulties some have spoken to me about, with Harry living this new life. Speak to those on both sides of this row, and one thing they will actually agree on is that Harry remains a man committed to those principles of service, duty and helping others - it's in his DNA. But unlike when he was a working royal, commercial interests are now at play, and that may impact other aspects of his philanthropic endeavours.
Yahoo
04-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince Harry ‘deeply depressed,' 'embarrassed' about charity war: Sources
(NewsNation) — While Meghan Markle is basking in her recent success, her husband, Prince Harry, is having a rough time. Sources tell me that Harry is 'deeply depressed and embarrassed' by the Sentebale charity scandal he is enmeshed in and devastated that the charity he founded has been 'ripped away' from him. Taylor Swift and Blake Lively 'have made amends': Source 'He loves his charities — this is what he wants to spend his life doing and now, one of them is gone … and in the most horrible way,' a source said. Harry is head of Invictus Games — a charity he started in 2014 for wounded warriors — and Archewell, the foundation he started with his wife, Meghan Markle. And up until last week, he was the patron of Sentebale, the organization he started decades ago with his friend Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help fight AIDS but which now 'empowers' young people. Morgan Wallen selling new merch inspired by remark after abrupt 'SNL' departure Both Harry and Prince Seeiso left Sentebale in sympathy and support for the board, which had resigned due to friction with the Zimbabwean chairwoman, Sophie Chandauka. The aftermath of the resignations has been brutal. Chandauka, who has been chairwoman of Sentebale since June 2023, claims Prince Harry bullied and harassed her after Harry's wife created an awkward moment during a 2024 polo event. On March 31, The Telegraph reported that Prince Harry, 40, allegedly sent Chandauka an 'unpleasant' and 'imperious' message after she declined to defend his wife, Meghan Markle, whom Chandauka claims showed up unannounced and caused an awkward and embarrassing scene during the trophy presentation. Chandauka is also said to be furious that 'someone' let it slip to the London Times that she spent over $600,000 on consultants — a lot of money that others feel could have gone to the charity's causes instead. The charity, which had been in good financial health previously, is now said to be ailing (something Chandauka denies). Harry has hit back — allowing his Eton classmate and close friend Alex Raynor to speak to the Daily Mail on his behalf. Raynor told the Daily Mail: 'The way he feels (after leaving Sentebale) is as if he has had one of his fingers cut off.' Rayner also said Chandauka was jealous of Meghan Markle being present at the 2024 prize-giving event, saying: 'It feels like [Chandauka] had her nose put out of joint because she was not the most important woman of color on the stage.' 'H is very happy for me to speak for him about how he feels about this awful situation,' adding the Prince is 'heartbroken and flabbergasted' that the charity he established as a teenager 'has been taken hostage by the chair.' Blake Lively's popularity hits new low amid lawsuit: Poll 'He is so upset and hurt and wounded about the things that are being said about him,' Rayner continued. 'I think it's too early to tell whether he will just walk away now or whether he might try and get it back. 'The way he feels is as if he has had one of his fingers cut off. He set up Sentebale with a school friend when the death of his mum was a fresh memory… At the moment, he is just in total shock about what is being said and the accusations being made.' In his joint statement with Prince Seeiso, Prince Harry said: 'With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as Patrons of the organization until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same. It is devastating that the relationship between the charity's trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation… These trustees acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down while keeping the well-being of staff in mind. In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship.' Wendy Williams adds high-profile attorney in guardianship battle Adding to Harry's depression is his father King Charles' illness. Harry was said to be devastated when the King was so unwell due to cancer treatments he canceled public engagements last week. The Daily Mail reported Harry 'doesn't leave the (Montecito) house anymore.' A rep for Harry declined to comment on 'conjecture.' Welcome to 'The Scoop' — the ultimate back-to-the-office water cooler cheat sheet, your go-to source for all things everyone really wants to know! Get the latest on everything from the political swamp maneuvering in D.C. and Hollywood drama to jaw-dropping small-town shenanigans from Paula Froelich. Subscribe to her newsletter here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
