Sentebale Crisis: Chair Dr Sophie Chandauka accused of ‘playing the race card’ amid dispute with Prince Harry

The chair of Senteable, the African charity co-founded by Prince Harry, has been accused of “playing the race card” amid a bitter dispute that has led to mass resignations and allegations of misconduct.

Sources close to the trustees claim Dr Sophie Chandauka, a Zimbabwean-born lawyer, raised accusations of racism and bullying when her leadership came under scrutiny.

The controversy escalated in late March when five trustees, including Prince Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, resigned.

The trustees cited an irreparable breakdown in trust with Dr Chandauka, alleging she refused to step down despite their requests and initiated legal proceedings to maintain her position.

In their resignation statement, the princes expressed sorrow over the deteriorating relations, describing the situation as “unsustainable.”

A source close to the trustees has accused Dr Chandauka of using racial allegations strategically.

“She’s definitely playing the race card and openly,” they told The Telegraph.

“As soon as anyone turns against her, she brings the race card in and she comes for you.”

The source claimed these accusations intensified after Dr Chandauka was challenged over losing a major sponsor for Sentebale’s annual polo cup, a key fundraising event for the charity. She then reportedly took her concerns directly to Prince Harry.

When the board urged her to resign, she launched legal proceedings in the High Court, prompting mass resignations.

She has accused the board of bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir, a term describing prejudice against Black women.

She has also alleged that Prince Harry orchestrated a campaign to undermine her leadership, accusing him of “harassment and bullying at scale.”

In an interview with Sky News, Dr Chandauka claimed Harry pressured her to issue statements defending his wife Meghan Markle after public backlash at Sentebale’s annual polo cup event, and sabotaged her fundraising efforts by briefing sponsors against her.

A source close to Ms Chandauka described the allegations from her as “horrific” and “extraordinarily ironic”.

Both the Duke and the Duchess of Sussex have accused the Royal family of “unconscious bias” when it comes to race. The Duke told GQ magazine in 2020 that it was “one of the most dangerous things” among people in positions of power.

“If you’re not aware of your own bias and you’re not aware of the culture within your system, then how are we ever going to progress?” he asked.

It has also been alleged that a white trustee of Sentebale compared Dr Sophie Chandauka’s leadership to the white minority rule of 1960s Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, during a governance dispute within the charity.

The trustee reportedly likened her chairmanship to UDI, the 1965 unilateral declaration of independence in Rhodesia, when white minority leaders declared independence without British consent.

A source described the remark as inflammatory and overtly racist. “Using such language from an expressly colonial time is more than inflammatory,” the source said. “It’s black and white racism.”

Sources close to the trustees and Prince Harry have dismissed her claims as a “publicity stunt.”

One insider alleged that Dr Chandauka was not initially shortlisted for the chair’s position but pushed her way into consideration after leveraging her connections within the charity.

According to this source, she implied she might take action if not included on the candidate list, describing herself as a “highly globally connected US-based Black southern African senior executive woman with an exceptional corporate pedigree.”

The recruitment consultant overseeing the process reportedly added Dr Chandauka to the shortlist after her insistence, and she ultimately secured the role following an impressive interview.

“Of course, she’s going to be quite impressive to those who don’t know her on the board, because, you know, she has been in Sentebale before, and she interviews very, very well, comes across very, very well,” said the source.

“She passed the interview with flying colours.”