Following days of silence after he was accused of bullying and harassment, Prince Harry stated 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 unbiased 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 sequence of incendiary claims towards 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 aid that the Charity Fee confirmed they are going to be conducting a strong inquiry,” Harry stated in a press release issued with Prince Seeiso. He added: “We totally anticipate it would unveil the reality that collectively compelled 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 an ungainly encounter with Meghan at a polo match in Miami to boost funds for the charity. The previous trustees, in flip, stated that they had misplaced confidence in Ms. Chandauka’s management.
The Charity Fee stated it had opened a compliance case to look at issues about Sentebale, and stated 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, will probably 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 stated in its assertion.
The fee stated it was now “in direct contact with events who’ve raised issues to collect proof and assess the compliance of the charity and trustees previous and current.”
Ms. Chandauka stated in a assertion that she additionally welcomed the watchdog’s resolution to proceed with a compliance case. “We hope that, collectively, these actions will give most people, our colleagues, companions, supporters, donors and the communities we serve consolation that Sentebale and its new board of trustees are appearing appropriately to show and guarantee good governance,” she added.
