Prince Harry charity boss accused of ‘playing the race card’

By Victoria Ward and Paul Nuki

The boss of Prince Harry’s African charity has been accused of “playing the race card” as she sought to maintain control of the organisation.

Sophie Chandauka, who was appointed chairman of the board of Sentebale in mid-2023, is at the heart of a bitter row over the charity’s governance, fuelled by claims and counter-claims of racism, bullying and mismanagement.

She has accused the board of bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir – a form of prejudice directed at black women – in an official complaint sent to the Charity Commission.

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But a source close to the trustees, who resigned en masse this month alongside the Duke of Sussex and his co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, claimed Ms Chandauka, a Zimbabwe-born lawyer, alleged racism when she realised things were not going her way.

“She’s definitely playing the race card and openly,” the source said.

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

The source claimed Ms Chandauka accused the trustees of bullying when she was challenged over the loss of a major sponsor of the annual Sentebale polo cup following an apparent falling out.

She is then said to have taken her concerns directly to Prince Harry.

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

“She’s a very poisonous woman and it’s very sad it’s come to this,” the source said.

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A source close to Ms Chandauka described the allegation 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 is alleged that one of Sentebale’s white trustees likened Ms Chandauka’s chairmanship to the white minority rule of 1960s Rhodesia.

The trustee, whom The Telegraph has chosen not to name, is alleged to have compared her leadership to UDI – the 1965 unilateral declaration of independence in Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, when white minority leaders declared independence without the consent of the British government.

“Using such language from an expressly colonial time is more than inflammatory,” a source told The Telegraph. “It’s black and white racism.”

Ms Chandauka has accused Prince Harry of “harassment and bullying at scale” and claimed he tried to use Sentebale as “an extension of the Sussex PR machine”.

The trustees and the duke branded her claims “a publicity stunt”.

Meanwhile, The Telegraph has been told Ms Chandauka was not included on the original shortlist of candidates for the chairman’s role but “barged her way in” after an acquaintance at the charity introduced her to the recruitment consultant responsible for filling the position.

A source claimed that one of the trustees contacted her to “help” with the recruitment process as she had previously sat on the charity’s board. But she then complained that she had not been considered herself and implied she might take action if she was not put on the list.

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She was, after all, “a highly globally connected US-based black southern African senior executive woman with an exceptional corporate pedigree”, she allegedly told the consultant.

Having outlined her qualifications, Ms Chandauka is said to have suggested she might take action unless interviewed for the position. “I will reflect upon this and what to do about it,” she is said to have told the recruitment consultant in writing.

‘She barged her way in’

“It was basically a threat”, the source alleged. “She was put in touch with the agent and barged her way in”.

The recruitment consultant then returned to the board and it was agreed Ms Chandauka should be included for interview, which in the interests of fairness was conducted by a panel who had not previously known her.

“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.”

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