Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's brand slammed as 'toxic' by head of Duke's charity

The head of African charity Sentebale - an organisation co-founded by to help children with HIV - has described his and 's brand as "toxic" in a sensational interview.

Dr Sophie Chandauka, chair of the charity set up in the late Princess Diana's memory, claims there was tension between herself and the Duke, and that she was asked by his team to protect Meghan against any negative publicity - which she refused to do. saying he was devastated to do so, but cited a "broken" relationship for the reason for the move.

He left "in solidarity" with the charity's trustees who also resigned when relations with Dr Chandauka "broke down beyond repair" when she refused their request to step down.

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Hitting back, the Zimbabwean lawyer said the Sussexes' "brand" had hampered the charity.

"The number one risk for this organisation was the toxicity of its lead patron's brand," Dr Chandauka told the Financial Times. She claimed the controversy surrounding Prince Harry's move to the US has affected the charity's ability to diversify its donor base and make senior hires. "When you start to interview people, they're asking questions about, well, these mixed messages around the patron", she said.

She also accused Harry and fellow co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, of attempting to "force a failure" of the organisation, only to later position themselves as its saviours. In her first interview since the dispute began, Dr Chandauka passionately defended her record and issued a striking message to Prince Harry, stating, "The team is resolved that Sentebale will live on, with or without you."

This comes after a statement from Sentebale last week, which suggested that "people in the field" were more important than the charity’s trustees.

It said: "There are people in this who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat people, and then play the victim card and use the very press they disdain to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct."

Harry has not commented on the claims, but a close source told the Mail: "There's no way of sugar-coating the damage of this, regardless of who's in the right. He'll be reeling."

Ms Chandauka, who trained as a lawyer in London, said she has been trying to transform the charity. "The way the organisation had been set up in 2006, was no longer appropriate in 2023 in a post-Black Lives Matter world". These changes triggered friction between UK-based staff and those in Lesotho, she added. The board, she said, felt "a loss of power and control and influence... oh my goodness, the Africans are taking over".

A Charity Commission spokesperson said: "We can confirm that we are aware of concerns about the governance of Sentebale. We are assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps."