When the Duke and Duchess of Sussex left the royal tasks in 2020, Prince Harry spoke emotionally about his 'great sadness'.
In a speech before they left the UK, in the Ivy Chelsea Garden Restaurant in West -Londs, he admitted that he wanted to stick to his ties with the armed forces.
“Our hope was to continue to serve the queen, the Commonwealth and my military associations, but without public financing. Unfortunately that was not possible, “the former household cavalry officer told guests bitter during the charity event.
The only comfort for Harry was that he would remain seriously involved in the two organizations he had helped to create himself: the Invictus games for wounded former soldiers and women, and Sentebale, the charity that he co-founded to help African children pointed through the AIDS crisis and in poverty.
Now, however, he has resigned with his beloved Sentebale in the most unpleasant and bitter circumstances – in the midst of accusations of racism and bullying in charity.
The storm started yesterday when I was shocked when I heard that Mark Dyer had decreased as a manager of the organization.
Sometimes known as Harry's 'second father', 59-year-old Dyer is a steadfast presence in the life of the Duke. He stood by Harry through the death of his mother Diana, his days in Eton and Sandhurst and eventually in his married life in Californian exile.
Dyer was a Trustee from Sentebale since the foundation in 2006 and it seems honest to say that the charity would never have come out without his guidance.
The former Welsh Guards Officer, who had been an equerry for Prince Charles in the nineties, helped Harry's GAP year to coordinate and traveled with him to Australia, Argentina, and, at the invitation of Harry's friend Prince Seeiso, the impoverished country of Lesotho.
The 'very clumsy' moment in a fundraising polo competition for Sentebale in the US last year, where the Duchess of Sussex was filmed and asked the Trustee Sophie Chandauka (left) not to be right next to Prince Harry with the trophy presentation
A little earlier, Meghan had kissed her husband to celebrate his victory -with a Netflix camera crew in tow rope to capture the moment for his upcoming TV series
Harry inspired the experience to set up Sentebale in combination with Seeiso. From the beginning one of his managers Verver, known as 'Marko' to family and friends.
In his 423 of his execution memoirs, Harry wrote: 'Of all the PAs people there was a consensus that Marko was the best. The roughest, the most difficult, the most turbulent. '
When Dyer married Texan heirs Amanda Kline in 2010, Harry was a Usher.
Dyer returned the favor in 2018 when Harry married Meghan in Windsor, while his son, Jasper – who is Harry's Godon – had a service like a Page Boy.
Dyer is also considered a godfather of Archie, the oldest of the two children of Harry and Meghan.
With characteristic discretion, Dyer refused to comment on his departure from Sentebale when I contacted him yesterday.
However, I thought it was curious that the charity did not pay tribute to Dyer or four other managers who also left this week – of whom two years had only been in their position for two years.
An extraordinary joint statement by Harry and Seeiso was then leaked to the Times newspaper last night. “What happened is unthinkable,” they wrote. 'We are in shock that we have to do this.
Former Equerry to Prince Charles and an old confidant of Harry's, Mark Dyer (left) was taken yesterday as Trustee of Sentebale – the beloved charity of the Prince
When Dyer married Texan heirs Amanda Kline in 2010, Harry was a usher
After the founders Harry and Prince Seeiso's statement announced that they deduct as protectors of charity, Dr. Chandauka (depicted with Harry last March) People who play the victim card and the press they use '
'Almost 20 years ago we founded Sentebale in honor of our mothers. Sentebale means “forget me” in Sesotho, the local language of Lesotho, and it is what we have always promised for the young people we have served by this charity. Today is no different.
'With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as the protection lords of the organization until further notification, to support and solidarity with the board of directors that have had to do the same. It is devastating that the relationship between the charity managers and the chairman of the board did not demolish more than repair, creating an untenable situation. '
The leak of the statement to the Times, given the ruthless Harry campaign against the popular press, has left the chairman of Sentebale completely stunned.
Sophie Chandauka, the lawyer born in Zimbabwe who was appointed Trustee chairman last year, claimed to the Daily Mail that there was a 'cover-up' with charity.
She destroyed 'weak management of management, abuse of power, bullying, intimidation, misogyny and misogynoir [discrimination against black women]. '
Dr. Chandauka also took a wipe to 'people in this world who behave as if they were above the law and mistreat people'.
In a clear reference to Harry, she said that such people then play the victim card and the press they use.
She added challengingly: 'For me this is not a vanity project from which I can resign if I am called to account.
'I am an African who has had the privilege of a world -class course and career. I will not be intimidated. I have to stand for something. I stand for those other women who do not have the roads and resources. '
It may not just be Harry with whom Dr. Chandauka did not reject it. There was a very uncomfortable moment between her and Meghan during a fundraising polo match for Sentebale in Miami last year.
As I stated on the HIT -Youtube program of the Post, Palace Confidential, Meghan was filmed and asked Dr. Chandauka not to stand next to the Duke at the trophy presentation.
The former actress could be seen in video images to Dr. Chandauka to a different place in the group to move and insist that she is sitting next to her husband in the middle of the Huddle.
Just earlier Meghan had kissed her husband to celebrate his victory -with a Netflix camera cow in tow rope to capture the moment for his upcoming TV series on Polo.
I have known the serious problems at Sentebale for several years. In July 2023 I revealed that advertising -guru Johnny Hornby was demolished from charity after 11 years, five of which he spent as chairman.
Harry stored Sentebale with Prince Seeiso from Lesotho (depicted with the Prince) in 2006
His departure was followed last November by that of Baroness Chalker, the former minister of conservative overseas development, who had been Trustee for 18 years.
Harry's narrow baked Andrew Tucker, whom he lovingly calls 'Tucks', also abandoned his higher position in Sentebale after almost a decade the same month.
Then, a month later, experienced charity worker Richard Miller stopped as Chief Executive, who had served for five years.
Miller would become the last Chief Executive of Sentebale, based in London, in what I interpreted as a different sign of Harry and Meghan's cutting tires with Great Britain.
“This shift reflects our continuous dedication to be led by voices from the region that we serve,” said Harry and Seeiso in a joint statement at that time.
Some of those voices 'from the region' – in particular with Dr. Chandauka – say things that they disagree with.
The Charity Commission started an investigation into Sentebale after the concern about her administration was expressed.
It will be fascinating to see if Harry is ever able to return to the charity he called to his mother's favorite flower Princess Diana, the forget-me-not.
Or will Sentebale be another part of his royal legacy that will be sent to the past?
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