There was no evidence of widespread bullying, harassment or misogyny at the Sentebale charity founded by Prince Harry, the charity regulator has found.
The Charity Commission has published its findings into whistleblower allegations that followed a bitter boardroom dispute that saw Prince Harry resigning, along with several trustees, earlier this year.
It has imposed no sanctions, and the current leadership, headed by Sophie Chandauka, will remain at the charity which supports young people in southern Africa.
But the commission did criticise “all parties” for allowing a “damaging” dispute to play out publicly, and gave the charity a regulatory action plan to deal with “governance weaknesses”.
It’s a bittersweet outcome for Prince Harry, who has left the charity, which his spokesman said had been “deeply personal” to him.
Much of the criticism from the commission focused on how the internal dispute descended into such a public argument in the media, which it said had damaged the charity’s reputation.
The row had seen Prince Harry accused of being a “toxic” brand by the charity’s chair Ms Chandauka – and he had stepped down, saying his and the trustees’ relationship with her was broken “beyond repair” and saying that they had faced “blatant lies“.
“Sentebale’s problems played out in the public eye, enabling a damaging dispute to harm the charity’s reputation, risk overshadowing its many achievements, and jeopardising the charity’s ability to deliver for the very beneficiaries it was created to serve,” said Charity Commission chief executive David Holdsworth.
Although Prince Harry’s team welcomed the finding that there had not been evidence of bullying, a spokesman said the report “falls troublingly short” in that the “consequences of the current chair’s actions will not be borne by her”.
The current chair, Ms Chandauka, remains at the head of the charity, with the watchdog finding no reason for her not to continue.
A Sentebale spokesman said that the report confirmed that the new trustees had been validly appointed and could move forward “free from interference”.
Ms Chandauka said the “adverse media campaign” from those who had resigned from the charity had caused “incalculable damage”.
“We are emerging not just grateful to have survived, but stronger,” she said.
The Charity Commission also said that although there was no evidence of widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir [discrimination against black women], it acknowledged a “strong perception of ill treatment felt by a number of parties” and said it wasn’t its role as a regulator to adjudicate on individual claims of bullying.
The commission has not sanctioned any individuals, but its regulatory action plan is meant to address problems such as a lack of clarity over roles and a better mechanism for handling internal disputes.
It warned of “weaknesses in the charity’s management” that had added to disagreements.
The inquiry highlighted how tensions had risen around a new fundraising strategy in the United States, with some trustees believed to have raised concerns about the charity’s finances.
The action plan warns of the importance of “sufficient funding to enable the charity to deliver for its beneficiaries”.
The Charity Commission website is still showing Sentebale’s financial position from August 2023 – but sources close to the charity say it is in good financial health.
The charity had been a very personal project for Prince Harry, which made his resignation even more difficult.
Sentebale was co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, with both honouring the legacies of their mothers.
“For 19 years, its dedicated staff and steadfast supporters have provided vital care to over 100,000 young people across southern Africa, including young people living with HIV/Aids and those facing mental health challenges,” said a spokesman for Prince Harry.
Prince Harry’s spokesman said the charity had grown to become a “flowering force for good” and that he will “now focus on finding new ways to continue supporting the children of Lesotho and Botswana”.
Ms Chandauka said: “Despite the recent turbulence, we will always be inspired by the vision of our founders, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso.”
The Charity Commission concluded that those running charities should not let disagreements make them forget their initial good intentions and to focus on those they were trying to help.
“Passion for a cause is the bedrock of volunteering and charity, delivering positive impact for millions of people here at home and abroad every day,” said Mr Holdsworth.
“However, in the rare cases when things go wrong, it is often because that very passion has become a weakness rather than a strength.
“Moving forward, I urge all parties not to lose sight of those who rely on the charity’s services.
“The current trustees must now make improvements and ensure the charity focuses on delivering for those it exists to serve.”
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