Prince Harry heartbroken as he ‘sent unpleasant message to charity boss’ amid refusal to defend…

Prince Harry allegedly sent an “unpleasant” and “imperious” message to the chairman of Sentebale, the African charity he co-founded, after she refused to issue a statement defending his wife Meghan.

The Duke of Sussex directly contacted Dr Sophie Chandauka following an awkward exchange between her and the Duchess at a charity polo match in Miami last April.

The dispute has culminated in Prince Harry’s resignation from the HIV children’s charity he established almost two decades ago.

According to sources, Harry’s message demanded that Dr Chandauka “explain herself” after she declined to be drawn into a row about perceived tensions with Meghan.

The Telegraph understands that her refusal to comply with the request to back Meghan contributed to the bitter dispute that led to the Duke’s departure.

Tensions between the charity’s chairman and its co-founder became apparent at the Sentebale charity polo match in Miami last April.

The Duchess of Sussex had not been expected to attend but turned up at short notice with a Netflix camera crew.

According to one source, Meghan spent much of the afternoon chatting to her friend Serena Williams, the seven-time Wimbledon champion who was also present.

Problems arose during the post-match photograph when Meghan appeared to instruct Dr Chandauka to move away from the Duke as he celebrated his win.

The Duchess was filmed asking Dr Chandauka to move to the other side of her husband, forcing the charity chairman to duck under the trophy to switch position.

This brief encounter generated significant publicity, with the Sussexes reportedly furious about how it appeared.
Following the public incident, a member of Prince Harry’s team asked Dr Chandauka to issue a statement dismissing any suggestions of tension between her and the Duchess.

Dr Chandauka refused, saying she did not wish to “become an extension of the Sussex PR machine”.

She reportedly felt she had been treated with disrespect during the charity day.
The Duke then contacted her directly to complain about her actions.

Sources described the message as “unpleasant” in tone and using “imperious” language that left the charity boss feeling taken aback.

A spokesman for Sentebale confirmed the Duke had sent the message, stating: “This is true. There is a document.”
GB News has contacted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex regarding the claim.

The exchange appears to have deepened the rift between Prince Harry and the charity chairman.

The dispute continued for months before eventually leading to Harry’s resignation from the organisation he helped establish.

Sentebale was launched in 2006 after the Duke spent his gap year volunteering at an orphanage in Lesotho.

The charity focuses on supporting children affected by HIV in southern Africa.
On Tuesday, Prince Harry issued a statement explaining his decision to stand down as patron.

He cited that the “relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board had broken down beyond repair”.
Dr Chandauka was appointed chairman of Sentebale in 2023.