The Meghan Markle moment that hinted at Prince Harry's charity feud: Duchess' awkward exchange with Sentebale chair at the polo
Meghan Markle had an awkward exchange with the chairwoman of Prince Harry's charity just months before it emerged a boardroom battle had shaken it to its core.
The Duke of Sussex last night revealed 'unthinkable infighting' had led to his shock resignation from Sentebale, the charity he founded in 2006 in honour of Princess Diana to help young people in southern Africa living with HIV and AIDS.
In a bombshell statement, Harry lamented the 'devastating' decision to quit as patron alongside co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, while his 'second dad' Mark Dyer also resigned as trustee.
Several other trustees have left in the dispute with chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka who issued a stinging response taking aim at 'weak executive management' and appearing to criticise Harry for 'playing the victim card'.
She also hit out at 'abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir [discrimination against black women]' at the charity.
It can now be revealed that months ago, Dr Chandauka was involved in an awkward moment with the Duchess of Sussex at a polo event raising funds for Sentebale.
In footage from April 2024, Meghan appeared to ask Dr Chandauka not to pose next to Harry as he celebrated the Royal Salute Polo Challenge in Wellington, Florida.
The Duchess could initially be seen ordering people around a stage after handing Harry a trophy following the tournament at the USPA National Polo Center.
Dr Chandauka, who was stood on the Duke's right, was asked twice by Meghan to move to her left side away from Harry, as he kept his arm around his wife.
Others therefore had to shuffle around them to find a place, with Dr Chandauka awkwardly having to duck under the trophy to get into the position Meghan was asking her to stand in. Dr Chandauka then said something inaudible to her.
Meghan Markle sparked an awkward moment when she asked Dr Sophie Chandauka not to stand next to Prince Harry for a picture after he won a polo tournament in Florida in April 2024
During the incident Dr Chandauka awkwardly had to duck under the trophy to get into the position Meghan wanted her to stand in next to her, before the group posed for a photograph
Zimbabwe-born executive Dr Chandauka, who is based in New York City, has been involved with Sentebale since 2009 when she joined the board of trustees until 2015.
The diversity campaigner then became chair in July 2023, succeeding Johnny Hornby who had served 11 years on the board and had been chair since March 2018.
At the time, Dr Chandauka was praised by Harry for her 'experience, passion for social change and entrepreneurial spirit' which he said would be a 'tremendous benefit to Sentebale's next chapter'.
And Dr Chandauka said upon taking the role that she had benefited from the 'privilege of a world-class education and career specifically because many people took a chance on me, the young girl from Zimbabwe, and gave me air cover when the odds were stacked against me'.
Dr Chandauka is also the chair and co-founder of Nandi Life Sciences, a US based biotechnology company which develops therapeutics for rare cancers and auto-immune diseases.
Her CV includes senior corporate roles leading strategy, legal and operations in technology, retail and investment banking.
Dr Chandauka's jobs have included operating as head of Americas risk management and intelligence at Facebook parent company Meta, and global chief operating officer of shared services and banking operations at Morgan Stanley.
Dr Sophie Chandauka stands between Nacho Figueras and Prince Harry, with Sentebale chief executive Richard Miller on the right after the polo tournament in Miami, Florida, in April 2024
Dr Sophie Chandauka poses for a photo by herself as she attends the Royal Salute Polo Challenge for Sentebale at Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, in April 2024
She was also head of group treasury legal at the Virgin Money Group, and a senior associate at global firm Baker McKenzie, advising companies such as Nike, The Body Shop, Citibank, Macquarie Bank and Alliance Boots.
Dr Chandauka is also a founder member of the Boston Chapter of Women Innovating Together in Healthcare (WITH Boston), chairs the Race Equity Group for The 30% Club, serves on the membership committee of The Executive Leadership Council (ELC), and is chair and executive founder of the Black British Business Awards.
In 2021, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Dr Chandauka an MBE for services to diversity in business.
She also serves on the advisory board of the Kellogg Institute for International Studies at the University of Notre Dame.
As for more recent developments, Harry and Prince Seeiso last night issued a joint statement backing the trustees departing from Sentebale and said they had resigned as patrons.
They said: 'Nearly 20 years ago, we founded Sentebale in honour of our mothers. Sentebale means 'forget-me-not' in Sesotho, the local language of Lesotho, and it's what we've always promised for the young people we've served through this charity.
'Today is no different. With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as Patrons of the organisation until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same.
'It is devastating that the relationship between the charity's trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation.'
In response, Dr Chandauka said: 'Everything I do at Sentebale is in pursuit of the integrity of the organisation, its mission, and the young people we serve.
'My actions are guided by the principles of fairness and equitable treatment for all, regardless of social status or financial means.
'There are people in this world 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.'
She also claimed she had reported trustees to the Charity Commission and that the High Court had issued an emergency injunction to prevent her removal.
However, a source told MailOnline that no such injunction had been issued.
Dr Chandauka added: 'Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir - and the coverup that ensued.
'I could be anyone. I just happen to be an educated woman who understands that the law will guide and protect me. I will say nothing further on this matter at this time.'
Harry spent two months in the kingdom of Lesotho during his gap year when he was 19 in 2004, which inspired him to establish the charity two years later, which now also works in Botswana.
He came face-to-face with Aids orphans, met other traumatised young people and visited herd boys living a harsh existence looking after cattle in remote mountain areas.
The duke visited Lesotho and the prince as recently as last October, where he talked to a group of young people around a campfire about the 'massive difference' Sentebale was making.
Former trustees Timothy Boucher, Mark Dyer, Audrey Kgosidintsi, Dr Kelello Lerotholi, and Damian West also released a statement saying their decision to resign was 'devastating' but was the 'result of our loss in trust and confidence in the chair of the board'.
(From left) Sophie Chandauka, Singapore Polo Club president Lawrence Khong, Prince Harry, Nacho Figueras and former All Blacks player Dan Carter at the Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup at the Singapore Polo Club in August 2023
(From left) Alix Lebec, founder and CEO of Lebec; Stacey Boyd, founder and CEO of Olivela; Hector Mujica, head of economic opportunity at Google; Prince Harry and chair Dr Sophie Chandauka MBE attend a Sentebale event in Johannesburg, South Africa, in October 2024
Sophie Chandauka and Prince Harry at The Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg in October 2024
(From left) Alix Lebec, founder and CEO of Lebec, Prince Harry and Sophie Chandauka during the Sentebale 'Potential is Waiting' panel at the Ritz Carlton Hotel in Miami in April 2024
The statement said: 'We are deeply proud to have supported the visionary work of the Founding Patrons Prince Seeiso and Prince Harry, who founded Sentebale in memory of their mothers.
'Our priority has always been, and will always be, what's in the best interest of the charity, and it's desperately sad the breakdown in relationship escalated to a lawsuit by the chair against the charity, to block us from voting her out after our request for her resignation was rejected.
'We could not in good conscience allow Sentebale to undertake that legal and financial burden and have been left with no other option but to vacate our positions. This was not a choice willingly made, but rather something we felt forced into in order to look after the charity.'
Dyer had been an equerry to Prince Charles and helped co-ordinate Harry's gap year and travelled with him to Australia, Argentina – and, at the invitation of Dyer's friend Prince Seeiso to Lesotho.
The experience galvanised Harry into establishing Sentebale, in tandem with Seeiso, its co-founder.
From the outset, one of its trustees was Dyer, known as 'Marko' to family and friends.
In his memoir Spare, Harry wrote: 'Of all Pa's people there was consensus that Marko was the best. The roughest, the toughest, the most dashing.'
Prince Harry and Sophie Chandauka (front right) at Sentebale's Mamohato Children's Centre with Let Youth Lead advocates from Botswana in Maseru, Lesotho, in October 2024
Sophie Chandauka at the Sentebale 'Potential is Waiting' panel in Miami Beach in April 2024
'For two decades, Sentebale has championed hundreds of thousands of children and young people, providing them with care, training and life skills, which not only benefit each individual child they support, but their families and their communities as a whole.
'Today's decision is nothing short of devastating for all of us, but we see no other path forward as the result of our loss in trust and confidence in the chair of the board.
When Dyer married Amanda Klein – an American – in 2012, Harry was an usher.
Dyer returned the favour in 2018 when Harry married Meghan at Windsor, with Dyer's son, Jasper – Harry's godson – on duty as a page boy.
It's believed that 'Marko', 59, is a godfather to Archie, the older of Harry and Meghan's two children.
The Duke and Prince Seeiso, who are understood to have resigned at the same time as the trustees, said they would be 'sharing concerns' with the Charity Commission.
They added: 'These trustees acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down, while keeping the wellbeing of staff in mind. In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship.
'We thank all the trustees for their service over the years and are truly heartbroken they've had to follow through with this act.
'What's transpired is unthinkable. We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale's beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about.
Sophie Chandauka (far left) with Vince Cable, former leader of the Liberal Democrats, at the Black British Business Awards in 2014
Sophie Chandauka at a Sentebale event at The Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg in October 2024
'Although we may no longer be Patrons, we will always be its founders, and we will never forget what this charity is capable of achieving when it is in the right care.'
Sentebale said it had not received resignations from either of the royal patrons and said the 'recalibration of the board is part of Sentebale's ambitious transformation agenda'.
In a statement, a spokesperson said: 'We are pleased to confirm the restructuring of our Board on 25 March 2025 to introduce experts with the capabilities and networks to accelerate Sentebale's transformation agenda as announced last year.
'In April 2024, Sentebale signalled its evolution from a development organisation focused on addressing the impact of HIV/AIDS on the lives of children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana, to one that is addressing issues of youth health, wealth and climate resilience in Southern Africa.'
Harry's role at Sentebale was one of a small number of private patronages he retained after he was stripped of his royal patronages and honorary military positions by the late Queen in 2021 after his departure from the working monarchy was confirmed for good a year after Megxit.
The Charity Commission said it was 'aware of concerns about the governance' of Sentebale.
'We are assessing the issues to determine the appropriate regulatory steps,' the commission said in a statement.
