On March 26, 2025, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso announced they were stepping down from Sentebale, the charity they co-founded nearly 20 years ago to support vulnerable children in Southern Africa. Their decision followed the dramatic mass resignation of the charity’s entire board of trustees, who accused board chair Dr. Sophie Chandauka of poor governance, failed leadership, and questionable spending.
But new developments suggest something deeper may be at play. One day before Harry and Seeiso publicly stepped down, Sentebale appointed a new set of trustees. Among them was Iain Rawlinson, a man with long-standing ties to Prince William. The timing raised eyebrows and fueled speculation that the royals may be repositioning the Sentebale charity under their influence, possibly as part of a subtle internal power grab.
Embed from Getty ImagesWhy Sophie Chandauka’s Connections Are Raising Questions
Sentebale appointed Dr. Sophie Chandauka MBE as chair in July 2023. She brought a background in finance and corporate leadership from Morgan Stanley and Meta, and the charity expected her to deliver fresh fundraising strategies. However, according to People, Chandauka instead spent over £500,000 ($600,000) on consultants, saw the collapse of Sentebale’s key polo fundraiser in Miami, and failed to secure major donations.
When the trustees asked her to step down in early 2025, she refused and took legal action against the board. Chandauka then made veiled public comments accusing unnamed individuals of “playing the victim card”—remarks widely interpreted as targeting Prince Harry. In her statements to PA Media and reported by CNN, she positioned herself as the defender of the charity’s mission. But by then, the damage was done.
The board had lost confidence. Legal challenges, funding uncertainty, and canceled events placed Sentebale in a fragile state. In an unprecedented move, every single trustee resigned, followed by the founders themselves. Prince Harry called the situation “devastating” and said the relationship with Chandauka had broken down “beyond repair.”
Senior Resignations and Strategic Shift Add to Growing Crisis
The turmoil didn’t begin there. In November 2024, Baroness Lynda Chalker, Sentebale’s longest-serving trustee, resigned after nearly 20 years with the charity. Speaking to The Times, she described Chandauka’s leadership style as “almost dictatorial.” The former overseas development minister, who served under several UK Prime Ministers, played a key role as a stabilizing force and supported Prince Harry from the start. Her resignation marked a major loss of institutional knowledge and added to the perception that something was deeply wrong inside the organization.
Then in December 2024, chief executive Richard Miller stepped down after five years in the role. According to the Daily Mail, Miller’s exit signaled the end of Sentebale’s London-based executive structure. His replacement, Carmel Gaillard, was appointed interim executive director and based in Johannesburg, South Africa. She has been tasked with leading a “strategic transformation” of the charity.
Iain Rawlinson’s Royal Connections Raise Questions About Board Motives
On March 25, 2025, Sentebale appointed Iain Rawlinson as a new trustee—just one day before Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso announced their resignations. At first glance, the move seemed like standard governance reshuffling. But Rawlinson’s deep, long-standing relationship with Prince William is impossible to overlook.
According to his official biography on Sentebale’s website, Rawlinson is a seasoned investment banker and strategy adviser who has held leadership roles in both the corporate and nonprofit sectors. Most notably, he served as Trustee and Chairman of Tusk Trust, an African conservation charity that counts Prince William as its Royal Patron. Rawlinson led Tusk from 2002 to 2013 and later served as Chair of its Development Board until 2020. He is currently listed as Honorary Vice President of the organization.
Embed from Getty ImagesTusk and Prince William have maintained a close partnership for nearly two decades. Photos from as early as 2011 show William personally attending Tusk events where Rawlinson held senior roles. Their alignment in both philanthropic circles and public appearances has not gone unnoticed.
Given the ongoing leadership crisis at Sentebale, Rawlinson’s sudden arrival, paired with his strong ties to William, has fueled speculation about whether the charity is being slowly pulled under new influence. For some, his appointment raises uncomfortable but necessary questions: Is this about stabilizing governance, or is it part of a broader effort to shift power away from Prince Harry’s vision?
Royal Repositioning of Sentebale or Genuine Reform
The shake-up at Sentebale feels less like charity reform and more like royal repositioning. Since stepping back as senior royals in 2020, Prince Harry and Meghan Sussex have built global popularity, especially among younger and more diverse audiences.
Now, with Harry and Seeiso stepping down and new trustees in place, the monarchy appears to be reclaiming the charity quietly, but strategically. It’s a symbolic move that distances Sentebale from the Sussex brand while placing it back under royal influence.
Embed from Getty ImagesPrince William’s Territorial Claim Over Africa
The timing becomes more pointed when paired with Prince William’s long-held views on Africa. In 2024, People reported that William “will want to introduce” his children to Africa. Meanwhile, Princess Catherine has never visited an African country in her 13 years as a royal. And years earlier, William faced backlash after blaming Africa’s population for environmental damage, comments many saw as rooted in colonial thinking.
Prince William 'Will Want to Introduce' His Children to Africa Soon, Says Tusk Charity CEO (Exclusive) https://t.co/OsTcAWSa6p
— People (@people) August 16, 2024
William’s reported comment to Harry, ‘Africa is my thing’, now feels prophetic. With Harry stepping down, William’s long-standing desire to position himself as the face of African philanthropy appears to be taking shape. Critics say the royal family treats Africa less as a partner and more like a stage to perform charity.
The question isn’t whether Sentebale needed reform. It’s whether the changes reflect a larger PR strategy, one that removes the Sussex legacy from Africa, recenters William, and reclaims Diana’s memory. If so, it’s a move that speaks volumes about power, image, and control.
The Legacy of Sentebale is Now in Question
Sentebale was once seen as one of the most effective examples of royal charity work. It prioritized African-led solutions, worked closely with local communities, and carried on Princess Diana and Mamohato Bereng Seeiso’s mission with empathy and purpose. That legacy is now under threat.
Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso may have stepped down, but the story isn’t over. With the UK Charity Commission now investigating the matter, and with growing scrutiny over the new board’s links to the royal establishment, this could become one of the most revealing chapters in the royal family’s post-Sussex strategy.
Whether this was sabotage or opportunism, one thing is clear: the crown’s shadow is now looming over a charity built in the memory of two mothers, and that legacy deserves protection, not politics.
Discover more from Feminegra
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Yeah something fishy is gonna on with this whole thing and it’s got Petty Willy’s name written all over it. How can a person be so petty and destroying something that was built on love and helping people in need of it.
Another great article. This really stinks! And as usual those who will suffer are the most vulnerable. I really hope Harry and Seeiso can regain control of their amazing Charity.
Why aren’t these articles published in every newspaper and on every social media platforms. The public have the right to know what is going on and how the monarchy use their friends to feed the tabloids. Why does the monarchy need public funds when they are collectively billionaires? Why are they so against one of their own (Harry) who is trying to earn a living, together with his wife Meghan rather than living off the state? They are obviously frightened of Harry’s popularity over shadowing William after all he’s supposed to be the spare, second best!!! You are reporting what I have been telling my not convinced friend for a long time. She doesn’t like Meghan but cannot give a good reason why, like many people who take what they read as true. Please keep writing these articles but spread them far and wide, the good guys need your support.
Thank you Sheila. What you write says it all wisely and in spades. The royals are an obscenely wealthy plutocracy who have no principles in seeking to hang on to power and privilege no matter who is hurt in the process, sadly supported by many scribbling sycophants who also care nothing for the honor, respect and obligation expected of the Fourth Estate to tell the truth. Feminegra is a truthful and inspiring journal of truth and deserves to hold their heads high.
This is one of the most disturbing, yet revealing moves the crumbling and grievously dysfunctional royal family appears to have made and it has the pettiness and spite of William written all over it. If this man is seen as a future monarch then the National Anthem may as well stop asking God for his support in saving the king..
In the same way a close confidante of King Charles was allowed on the panel which rejected Harry’s security application we now have a close chum of William appointed as a trustee to the restructured Sentebale charity.
Responsible journalists have to recognise the evil that great power can wield described succinctly by James Murdoch, Rupert’s son who observed ” Standing up to Nazis is essential: there are no good Nazis” he said
Ever since Charles and working-class backgrounded Kate were outed by royal columnist Piers Morgan as racist through being the ones who questioned the likely skin colour of Meghan’s kids lest it sullied the Windsor’s pure white image, they are now regularly pictured by palace photographers alongside or hugging people of colour. “We are not a racist family” insisted William to protect Kate’s massively clumsy racist statement. Sure Willy, sure.
There are also accusations of institutional racism within Charles’ own household. His Black personal secretary resigned after years of enduring racist and sexist mistreatment. She spoke about the racially hostile environment in the palace, where derogatory jokes and exclusion were common
If William wants to support wild life in Africa why did he oppose Harry’s work, childishly and spitefully saying “I let you have veterans why can’t you let me have African Elephants and Rhinos”. The royal household’s ivory collection is hugely valuable containing over 1,000 items including Queen Victoria’s ivory throne and a leather and ivory fan made for George 111
How then can these racists assume control of an African charity and pretend benevolence when they are only posturing to appease African Commonwealth nations aware of their racist history and who will not forget William and Kate in Barbados playing colonialists and offering their precious hands to children to reach through a wire fence to be allowed to TOUCH their royal masters whereas Meghan would have had the fence pullled down or gone behind to hug with joy and humility.
There is a stench in the royal ranks.