Following days of silence after he was accused of bullying and harassment, Prince Harry mentioned on Thursday that he welcomed an announcement that the bitter dispute on the charity he co-founded is to be examined by the Charity Fee, an impartial watchdog that regulates charities in England and Wales.
The charity, Sentebale, has been engulfed in a public relations disaster since final week, when Harry and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, introduced they have been resigning as patrons in solidarity with 5 trustees over a dangerous rift with the chair of the board, Sophie Chandauka.
Ms. Chandauka has since gone on tv in Britain to degree a series of incendiary claims in opposition to the previous trustees and Prince Harry, together with allegations of sexism, harassment and bullying, which they’ve strongly denied.
“On behalf of the previous trustees and patrons, we share within the reduction that the Charity Fee confirmed they are going to be conducting a strong inquiry,” Harry mentioned in an announcement issued with Prince Seeiso. He added: “We absolutely count on it can unveil the reality that collectively pressured us to resign.”
The dispute between Ms. Chandauka and the prince has spiraled into an unpleasant spectacle, along with her claiming that she was focused by the publicity machine of Harry and his spouse, Meghan, after a clumsy encounter with Meghan at a polo match in Miami to lift funds for the charity. The previous trustees, in flip, mentioned that they had misplaced confidence in Ms. Chandauka’s management.
The Charity Fee said it had opened a compliance case to look at considerations about Sentebale, and mentioned its focus would come with figuring out whether or not trustees, together with Ms. Chandauka, had fulfilled their authorized duties.
“The regulator’s focus, according to its statutory remit, shall be to find out whether or not the charity’s present and former trustees, together with its chair, have fulfilled their duties and duties underneath charity legislation,” the fee mentioned in its assertion.
The fee mentioned it was now “in direct contact with events who’ve raised considerations to assemble proof and assess the compliance of the charity and trustees previous and current.”
Ms. Chandauka mentioned in a statement that she additionally welcomed the watchdog’s resolution to proceed with a compliance case. “We hope that, collectively, these actions will give most of the people, our colleagues, companions, supporters, donors and the communities we serve consolation that Sentebale and its new board of trustees are performing appropriately to reveal and guarantee good governance,” she added.
