The boss of Prince Harry's charity is accused of 'playing the racing card' in the midst of a bitter fallout in the heart of the organization.
Sophie Chandauka, who became chairman in mid-2023, has accused the Council of Bullying, Intimidation, Misogynia and Misogynoir-A Form of Prejudits aimed at Black Women.
It is claimed that one of the white managers of Sentebale compared its presidency to the white minority rule of Rhodesia in the 1960s.
Mrs. Chandauka also claimed that Harry used the charity, he set up almost 20 years ago to help AIDS orphans in Lesotho, as an expansion of the Sussex PR machine.
The managers, including the duke, have resigned en masse and demand that Dr. Chandauka decreases as the relationship between them is broken without repair.
But now a source has been close to the board that Dr. Chandauka, a lawyer born in Zimbabwe, claimed racism to regain control of charity when she realized that things were not going on her way.
They said the turning point was when she was challenged about the loss of a large sponsor of the annual Sentebale Polo Cup that collects money for charity.
“She certainly plays the racing map and openly,” said the insider according to De Telegraaf.
The 'very clumsy' moment between Meghan Markle and Sophie Chandauka during a fundraising Polo competition for Sentebale in the US last year
Prince Harry was depicted with Dr. Chandauka during an event in Miami last April
Dr. Chandauka is depicted with the Sussexes on the Royal Salute Polo Challenge in April last year in Florida to raise money for Sentebale
“This is her plan. As soon as someone turns against her, she brings the racing card and she comes for you. '
The newspaper also quoted a source close to Dr. Chandauka as a branding of the claim 'horrible' and 'Extraordinary Ironic'.
It comes when the charity boss was forced to close her public social media accounts today after a huge stack led by the so-called Sussex team.
Sources, however, have said, although unpleasant, Mrs. Chandauka, is not going to get out of her position and to concentrate on the work of the charity.
In interviews in the weekend she called the Sussexes' brand 'toxic' and accused Harry of 'intimidation and bullying on a scale', a claim that is strongly refused.
Much of the problem concentrates on a charity polo match in Miami last year, of which Mrs. Chandauka says it was derailed by the insistence of the Prince to take a Netflix film team with him to make scenes for a documentary he made.
She believes it has led to the charity lost the location.
And when the event was organized again, Mrs. Chandauka says, Meghan came up unannounced and brought a friend, tennis star Serena Williams with her.
When during an award ceremony, the chaos followed with Mrs. Chandauka who apparently elbow through the Duchess of Sussex in a very uncomfortable exchange on stage.
It is claimed that Harry asked her to make a statement 'in support of the Duchess' that she refused and said it was important that the charity was not seen as an 'expansion of the Sussexes'.
The mail understands that De Duke then sent an 'unpleasant' message to Mrs. Chandauka who demands that she would deal with the public debacle.
Dr. Chandauka (photo) has accused Sentebale and his managers of racist, sexist and bullying
Mrs. Chandauka was apparently elbow through the Duchess of Sussex in a very uncomfortable exchange caught on the camera
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are seen during the Royal Salute Polo Challenge to improve Sentebale
Sources have described the message as 'in fact very unpleasant', 'imperious' and 'fairly extraordinary' in tone and her asked 'How are you going to deal with this?'
It is understanding that the message 'would strengthen the ideas of others that he is used to people who are up to him'.
In a recent interview, Mrs. Chandauka claimed that a year ago she felt tension between Harry and herself.
At one point she said that her team was asked to defend Meghan against negative publicity, but she refused.
Then, in an extraordinary interview on Saturday, she raised the bet even further and said that the '' brand Sussexes' had hindered the charity.
“The number one risk for this organization was the toxicity of the brand of her main patron,” Dr. Chandauka at the Financial Times.
She argued that controversy around Prince Harry since his move to the US had an impact on the ability of the charity to diversify his donor tool and make senior employees.
“When you start interviewing people, they ask questions about, well, these mixed messages about the patron,” she said.
Elsewhere, she accused Harry and fellow founder Prince Seiso van Lesotho of trying to “force a failure” of the organization and then tested.
In her first interview since the dispute broke out, Dr. Chandauka a passionate defense of her record.
In another accusation of Bom, Dr. Chandauka de Duke of Sussex 'Intimidation and bullying on a scale'.
Prince Harry depicted during a visit to Lesotho with Ntoli Moletsane from Sentebale in October last year
Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho stopped as protectors of the charity they had founded in solidarity with managers who said they could not continue under Dr. Chandauka
In a separate interview on Sky's on Sunday morning with Trevor Phillips, she said that the duke gave the release of a statement permission that revealed that he and other managers had left the charity, which she described as “unleashed the Sussex machine on me.”
Mr Philips asked her: “What you essentially say is that the Duke of Sussex is guilty of intimidation and bullying and incorrect behavior on the board of charity?”
In response, she said that Harry's release of 'a harmful piece of news to the outside world without informing me or my national directors was' an 'attack' and 'an example of intimidation and bullying on a scale'.
She added: “And if the world did not want to believe that there is such a thing as bullying, this unleashed of the Sussex machine for me and the 540 employees, in Sentebale, who received this and had to defend it …”
At this point Mr Phillips intervened and asked what she means by the Sussex machine.
Dr. Chandauka replied: “The PR machine that supports Prince Harry's efforts, the only way we discovered from his decision was via the Sussex machine that activated newspapers.”
Sources deny categorical suggestions that the charity is close to the collapse as a result of the Boardroom struggle and stress that both Mrs. Chandauka and the teams on the ground will continue their work.
Mrs. Chandauka said on the weekend that she 'had a great relationship with Harry' and sources close to the charity are that he 'respected and admired' remains in Lesotho for the work he did there 'and nobody can take this from him'.
But it is clear that the managers, now supported by the prince, 'want Sophie Out' about her attempts to bring the command structure of the charity away from London and 'Back to Africa'.
“Times went further and what was good 20 years ago is not the best operational model,” a source told the mail.
'Local leadership is the right way to run a charity focused in Africa.
“The managers do not seem to accept this.”
Mrs. Chandauka has stated that Prince Harry had not been to Lesotho for five years for his last visit in October 2024, which came at her request.
Observers have described this as 'quite telling' and wondered how much his focus had been on Sentebale since he had moved to the US and setting up his and Meghan's member of the philanthropic and commercial arm, Archewell.
There is also a strong anger in reactions made in the post today by Alex Rayner, a friend of the prince who claims that he had been in contact with him this weekend and was' authorized 'to speak for him, who claimed:' It feels like [Ms Chandauka ] Had put her nose out of the joint because she was not the most important color of color on stage '.
Meghan asked Dr. Sophie Chandauka not to stand next to Prince Harry for a photo after he won
Dr. Sophie Chandauka (photo), the chairman of the besieged charity institution of Prince Harry Sentebale, said that she was asked to defend Meghan Markle against negative publicity
Sources have described the claims as 'scandalous' and 'offensive' and come from someone who would say '' wife of color 'and put himself on the back'.
She [Ms Chandauka] Is a determined person and will take care of herself, but for her it is about the charity. What they are worried about is the well -being of the staff. It is a pity and unfair that they are subjected to this and she wants to concentrate on the work that is being done, “the source added.
It is understanding that an advantage of the furore is that new sponsors and donors have emerged.
Four new managers have also been mentioned, which suggests that the work of Sentebale will continue, regardless of the current row.
Although the Duke of Sussex did not respond to the claim that he has sent an 'imperious' text to Mrs. Chandauka, sources have suggested that many of the recent claims have been attempts to 'deviate from the serious things that play a role here'.
It is understood that the customers and managers have wondered whether they act 'in the best interest in the charity' and, if so, 'why does she use her platform to focus Prince Harry specifically'.
A source that closes the Netflix production team has also described the claimed version of events as 'misleading' and that video from Meghan and Mrs. Chandauka on stage is 'incorrectly displayed' and 'armed'.
A source close to managers and customers says that they had fully expected this publicity stunt and made their collective decision with this in mind. They remain determined in their dismissal, for the benefit of the charity, and look forward to the pronunciation of the truth '.
