Prince Harry breaks silence on Sentebale charity row as pal makes statement | Royal | News

Prince Harry « feels as if he has had one of his fingers cut off » after he felt he had no choice but to resign from the charity he set up in his mother’s name. The Duke of Sussex, 40, resigned as a patron of Sentebale after founding the charity in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help young people and children in southern Africa, particularly those living with HIV and Aids.

Both princes quit amid a boardroom battle, with several trustees also quitting the organisation over a dispute with the charity’s chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka. Since the mass exodus, Dr Chandauka has made a raft of allegations against Harry, causing him of « bullying » and « harassment », as well as sending « unpleasant » and « imperious » messages to the charity’s boss after she failed to publicly quash rumours of a rift with his wife, Meghan Markle.

Alex Rayner, an old Etonian school friend of the prince who went to the North Pole with him in 2012, has now spoken out about the row, and said Harry is « shocked » about the allegations Sentebale chair Dr Chandauka has made against him.

The pair spoke out over the weekend, and Harry said he was happy for his friend to speak on his behalf.

Mr Rayner said: « H is very happy for me to speak for him about how he feels about this awful situation, » he told the Daily Mail.

« He is just beyond heartbroken and flabbergasted that the charity he founded as a teenager has been taken hostage by the chair. It feels tantamount to a hostile takeover.

« He is so upset and hurt and wounded about the things that are being said about him. I think it’s too early to tell whether he will just walk away now or whether he might try and get it back.

« The way he feels is as if he has had one of his fingers cut off. He set up Sentebale with a schoolfriend when the death of his mum was a fresh memory. At the moment he is just in total shock about what is being said and the accusations being made. »

Harry’s friend also alleges that some of the heated accusations from Dr Chandauka may be because she is jealous of Meghan.

He said: « It feels like [Dr Chandauka] had her nose put out of joint because she was not the most important woman of colour on the stage. There is an undercurrent of stink here because Meghan showed up and it is coming from her [Dr Chandauka]. »

Yesterday, Harry was accused of sending an « unpleasant » and « imperious » message to his charity’s boss after she failed to publicly quash rumours of a rift with his wife.

Ms Chandauka has already alleged the duke tried to « eject » her through « bullying » and « harassment », while a source close to former trustees and patrons of Sentebale dismissed her comments at the weekend as a « publicity stunt ».

During the prize-giving ceremony at a Sentebale fundraising polo match in Miami last April, the Duchess of Sussex appeared to choreograph who stood next to Harry, and in an awkward moment Ms Chandauka moved from beside the duke to Meghan’s side ducking under the trophy.

The Telegraph claimed a member of Harry’s team asked Ms Chandauka to issue a statement to quash any rumours about tensions with Meghan, but when she refused the duke reportedly contacted her directly.

The newspaper alleged Harry demanded she « explain herself » and claimed sources said the note was « unpleasant » in tone and used « imperious » language.