Prince Harry's charity chair claims Meghan Markle played role in dispute

The chair of an African charity co-founded by Prince Harry has revealed that tensions with the Duke of Sussex began in April 2024 when she declined a request to publicly support Meghan Markle, intensifying a growing dispute.

In an interview, with the Financial Times, Nichola Pease Chandauka, who has led Sentebale since 2023, stated that the organisations biggest challenge was 'the toxicity' surrounding its lead patron's brand.'

On Tuesday, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso announced their departure from the charity following a failed attempt by trustees to remove Chandauka as chair. 

The fallout resulted in the resignation of all five trustees and the royal patrons, prompting the UK Charity Commission to launch an inquiry.

Chandauka has alleged she faced 'disrespect, bullying and intimidation' during her tenure-claims that have been strongly denied. She maintains that the discord began when she refused to allow Sentebale to serve as a platform for Meghan's public defense. 

'I said no. We cannot turn this charity into an extension of the Sussex PR machine,' she asserted. 

The conflict escalated in March when Chandauka took legal action, seeking an injunction from the UK High Court to prevent a vote on her removal. 

She argued that Prince Harry's polarising reputation since relocating to the U.S-including controversies stemming from his Netflix series and memoir-had hindered the charity's efforts to secure funding and attract senior leadership.