Prince Harry’s abrupt exit from Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in honor of his late mother, has drawn intense scrutiny following allegations of internal discord and a personal dispute involving the charity’s chair, Dr. Sophie Chandauka.

According to reports, the Duke of Sussex, 40, allegedly sent an “unpleasant” and “imperious” message to Dr. Chandauka after she refused to issue a public statement defending Meghan Markle.

The fallout stems from a widely circulated video from April 2024, in which Markle, 43, appeared to awkwardly move Chandauka away from Prince Harry during a polo trophy presentation.

As the footage went viral, sources told The Telegraph that Harry’s team reached out to Chandauka—an esteemed former global COO at Morgan Stanley—asking her to publicly support Markle and clarify the moment. Chandauka, however, declined.

“I knew what would happen if I did so, number one. And number two, because we cannot be an extension of the Sussexes,” she explained.

The decision reportedly didn’t sit well with Harry. A source claimed his note to Chandauka was not only “unpleasant” but carried a tone that was unusually demanding for a professional exchange.

Chandauka’s refusal to defend Markle reportedly sparked a months-long internal feud that culminated in Harry stepping down from the youth-focused charity.

A Sentebale spokesperson confirmed, “This is true,” adding that while there is documentation, the foundation does “not have consent to share the communication.”

During a recent appearance on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Chandauka discussed the ill-fated polo fundraiser in greater detail. She noted a last-minute venue change and claimed Markle caused significant disruption.

“The duchess decided to attend, but she told us she wasn’t attending, and she brought a friend, a very famous friend—Serena Williams,” Chandauka said.

The unexpected presence reportedly derailed carefully planned event logistics, contributing to what she described as choreography that “went badly on stage.”

In her remarks, Chandauka went further, describing the Sussex brand as “toxic” and accusing Prince Harry of “harassment and bullying at scale.”

She added, “Really, what Prince Harry wanted to do was to eject me from the organization, and this went on for months. I have documentation.”

The Duke and Duchess responded with a joint statement expressing their dismay over the situation. “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,” they said.

“What’s transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale’s beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about.”

Founded in 2006 by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, Sentebale—meaning “Forget me not”—was created in memory of Princess Diana and serves vulnerable children affected by HIV and extreme poverty.

As the charity now navigates a leadership crisis, the broader implications of this rift continue to unfold.

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