Prince Harry’s name has been cleared of any bullying, harassment, or misogyny while working at his AIDS charity.
The Charity Commission watchdog group conducted the investigation into Harry’s former charity Sentebale after allegations were launched by the current chairwoman, Dr. Sophie Chandauka.
Prince Harry, along with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, co-founded the charity in 2006 in Botswana and Lesotho in Africa to continue the work of Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana.
Highlights
- A report from the Charity Commission finds Prince Harry, Prince Lesotho and the board of trustees of the Sentebale AIDS Charity did not engage in widespread bullying or misogyny.
- The claims were launched by the current chairwoman of the charity, Dr. Sophie Chandauka, earlier this year, prompting Harry’s resignation.
- Harry called the findings proof that he had done no wrong, while Chandauka also claimed the report vindicated her.
An investigation has found that Prince Harry did not engage in widespread bullying while at his AIDS charity
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Image credits: Sentebale
The Charity Commission published its findings on the allegations following a bitter boardroom dispute that prompted Prince Harry to resign, along with several trustees, earlier this year.
The report said: “There was no evidence of widespread bullying, harassment or misogyny at the Sentebale charity founded by Prince Harry, the charity regulator has found.”
Harry resigned in March of this year from his position leading the charity, saying in a press release that it was "With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as patrons of the organisation until further notice in support and solidarity with the board of trustees, who have had to do the same.”
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At the time, the board of five trustees, along with patrons Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, said they resigned because the chairwoman, Dr. Chandauka, refused to step down.
The reason she was asked to step down, according to various sources, had to do with mounting concerns over her leadership style, strategic decisions, and financial management.
Shortly after being asked to step down from her voluntary position, Chandauka filed a motion in the High Court to block her removal, which was granted.
She also filed a formal complaint with the Charity Commission, alleging the charity engaged in or suffered from “poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir.”
Her allegations are what prompted the Charity Commission to carry out its investigation.
“Their report falls short”: Prince Harry’s team reacts to the commission’s findings
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Prince Harry's team welcomed the finding that there had not been evidence of bullying, with a caveat.
Through a spokesperson’s statement, Harry said of the commission’s finding: "Unsurprisingly, the Commission makes no findings of wrongdoing in relation to Sentebale’s Co-Founder and former Patron, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex. They also found no evidence of widespread bullying, harassment or misogyny and misogynoir at the charity, as falsely claimed by the current Chair."
Still, Harry’s team said the report “falls troublingly short in many regards, primarily the fact that the consequences of the current Chair’s actions will not be borne by her — but by the children who rely on Sentebale’s support," the spokesperson continued in the statement.
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According to an article in People Magazine, who quoted a source close to Harry: “Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso see no way back to the charity while Chanduka is in place, but that they are keeping their options open.”
“Both Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso are devastated by what has effectively been a hostile takeover by Sophie Chandauka," People quotes the source as saying.
The People article also quotes members of the board of trustees who commented on the commission’s findings, saying they were disappointed as well.
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"We are disheartened by the way in which the Charity Commission has chosen to ignore key concerns and irrefutable evidence raised with them regarding the leadership and oversight of Sentebale's Chair," People quoted the statement as reading.
"We accept there is always room to strengthen governance of an organisation, which is why we welcomed a governance review by the Chair initiated in February 2024, and that should have only taken a matter of months — we unfortunately never saw a report or any outcomes enacted, more than two years into her tenure."
Chandauka said the way Harry resigned was indicative of larger problems
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His statement read in part: "These trustees acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down, while keeping the wellbeing of staff in mind. In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship.”
The very public tit-for-tat that followed included Chandauka claiming whistleblower status for filing the suit with the Charity Commission.
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In several interviews, she bashed Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, calling their press release an example of how bad things had gotten behind closed doors.
In a statement on social media after the resignations, she said: “The unexpected adverse media campaign that was launched by those who resigned on 24 March 2025 has caused incalculable damage and offers a glimpse of the unacceptable behaviours displayed in private.”
A 2024 photo op with Meghan Markle might have caused some of the tension
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As speculation over the fallout began to grow, some people pointed to an awkward moment that happened in 2024 involving Meghan Markle, which might have caused the rift between Harry and Chandauka.
It was during the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, held in Wellington, Florida, on April 12, 2024, where the drama might have started.
At the time, Harry was posing for photos along with his wife Meghan, Dr. Chandauka, and others. In a video of people taking their places for the photos, Meghan appears to ask Dr. Chadauka not to stand next to Harry, which she obliged by awkwardly moving to the other side.
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As is usually the case with Meghan Markle, netizens pounced on her seemingly snotty request and bashed Meghan for being rude to Chandauka.
In interviews this year, Chandauka said that the incident was bothersome for Harry, who asked Chandauka for help tamping down on negative media about his wife.
Chandauka refused, saying that their charity was not an extension of the “Sussex PR” machine.
The report said all parties involved shouldn’t have dragged their drama into the public
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Although the investigation found no wrongdoing in terms of bullying or misogyny, the report did state that there was a "strong perception of ill treatment felt by a number of parties."
The statement added that “it wasn't its role as a regulator to adjudicate on individual claims of bullying,” which was a disappointment to some.
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The report also reprimanded both parties for allowing such a "damaging" dispute to play out publicly.
The Financial Times says that Chandauka views the findings as confirmation of the charges she alleged, like weak executive management and abuse of power.
In her framing, the outcome proved that her legal steps and whistleblower complaint were necessary to hold the organization to account.
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Netizens react to Prince Harry's reaction to being cleared of bullying and misogyny during his time as patron of AIDS Charity
