Prince Harry of the UK is ‘in shock’ about leaving his African Aids charity

Prince Harry of Britain claimed he was “in shock” after he resigned as a patron of Sentebale, a British charity he founded to support young people in Lesotho and Botswana who are living with HIV and Aids, after a dispute between trustees and the board chair.

In 2006, Harry, the younger son of King Charles, co-founded Sentebale in memory of his mother, Princess Diana, who had died in a vehicle accident in Paris nine years prior. Sentebale is the local word for “forget-me-not” in Lesotho, a country in southern Africa.

The board of trustees and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho followed Harry in quitting Sentebale after a disagreement with chair Sophie Chandauka, who has filed a lawsuit to keep her job.

Harry and Seeiso jointly stated on Sky News on Wednesday that “it is devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation.”

In 2020, Harry ceased his royal duties and moved to California to live with his wife Meghan and their two kids. He visited Nigeria last year and has long been deeply concerned with African concerns.

According to the joint statement, the trustees had acted in the charity’s best interests by requesting the chair resign.

“Although we may no longer be Patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care,” said the statement.

Reuters has reached out to Sentebale and the Charity Commission in Britain for comment.