The war of words over Sentebale is continuing, with the charity calling on the Charity Commission to provide clarity that its recent report did not specifically investigate claims of racism and misogyny against Prince Harry.
Sources close to the Duke of Sussex claim they are “rehashing unsubstantiated allegations of bullying, misogyny and more”, describing their latest move as not “just provocative, it’s pitiful”.
A source at Sentebale has told Sky News: “We have written to The Charity Commission stating that the onus is on the commission to restate for the record that individual allegations of bullying have not been investigated or addressed in the commission’s report.”
It comes after the Charity Commission report stated that “based on the evidence provided and reviewed by the commission, it found no evidence of: widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity”.
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However, the commission added that it “acknowledged the strong perception of ill treatment felt by a number of parties to the dispute and the impact this may have had on them personally”.
But sources at Sentebale believe the reporting around this statement – that Prince Harry has been cleared of bullying – has been inaccurate, as the charity watchdog did not specifically look at allegations made by the chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, including during an exclusive interview on Sky News.
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A source close to Prince Harry and the former board of trustees has hit back, and said: “It’s remarkable, just yesterday Ms Chanduaka was applauding the Charity Commission’s findings, yet today, after a flurry of unflattering headlines, she’s back on the warpath.
“Issuing yet another media statement only reinforces the commission’s criticism about using the press to air internal disputes.
“Rehashing unsubstantiated allegations of bullying, misogyny and more, which the commission found no evidence of and dressing them up as veiled threats isn’t just provocative, it’s pitiful.
“If Ms Chanduaka has genuine concerns, she should spell them out plainly or, better yet, redirect her energy toward something truly worthwhile, like raising money for the children Sentebale exists to support.”
It’s understood Prince Harry and his supporters have also been left unsatisfied by the scope of the report, including their concerns about money spent on consultants that was authorised by Dr Chandauka.
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Responding to Sky News, the Charity Commission said: “We have issued the charity with an action plan which sets out steps the current trustees need to take to improve governance weaknesses and rectify findings of mismanagement.
“We now urge all involved to put their differences behind them and allow the charity to focus on its work and beneficiaries”.
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Their report, released on Wednesday, was highly critical of all parties for allowing their disagreement to play out so publicly and allowing it to severely impact the charity’s reputation.
