The Charity Commission has opened a regulatory compliance case into a charity co-founded by Prince Harry to examine governance concerns.
Last week, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho both resigned as patrons of Sentebale, a UK-registered charity they co-founded in 2006, over a row between its former trustees and chair Sophie Chandauka.
Both told the Times that they had stepped down in solidary with the former trustees, who resigned themselves after their relationship with Chandauka “broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation”.
The commission said that after assessing initial concerns at Sentebale, which supports young people in Lesotho, it informed the charity on 2 April that it had opened a compliance case.
It added that it was “now in direct contact with parties who have raised concerns to gather evidence and assess the compliance of the charity and trustees past and present with their legal duties”.
Its investigation will determine whether Sentebale’s former and current trustees, including Chandauka, “have fulfilled their duties and responsibilities under charity law”.
Sentebale: Process will bring ‘clarity’
In a statement, Chandauka welcomed the commission’s decision “to consider the various governance, administration and management matters I first reported in February 2025”.
“For completeness, I should mention that we initiated an internal governance review last year, the findings of which we’ll share with the Charity Commission,” she said.
“We hope that, together, these actions will give the general public, our colleagues, partners, supporters, donors and the communities we serve comfort that Sentebale and its new board of trustees are acting appropriately to demonstrate and ensure good governance and a healthy culture for Sentebale to thrive.”
Carmel Gaillard, Sentebale’s executive director, said the charity welcomed “the clarity this process will bring”.
She added: “Transparency and accountability are central to how we operate, and the executive team and I are fully committed to supporting the Charity Commission’s regulatory compliance case in any way needed.
“We’ll also continue to work closely with the chair and the new board of trustees to ensure the smooth running of the organisation, keeping our focus firmly on delivering for the young people and communities we serve.”
Commenting on the case, Robert Meakin, charity partner at Keystone Law, said: “It’s a lesson for founders of charities that they should put in place safeguards to protect their vision for the charity that they establish.
“This could be through membership rights to appoint and remove trustees and membership agreements and funding agreements.
“People can think they’re all on the same page but often they aren’t.”
Meakin said it is crucial to choose the right trustees with the right skills and team ethos, adding that “sometimes founders select the right people to start with but then the people chosen thereafter turn out to be the wrong fit”.
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