The Duke of Sussex is considering starting a new humanitarian charity after a highly publicised dispute led to him leaving his Sentebale charity, a spokesperson has said.
Prince Harry stepped down as patron of the charity in March in support of trustees who resigned in opposition to the board chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, who previously levelled accusations of bullying and harassment against the royal.
The charity works in Botswana and Lesotho supporting the health and wellbeing of young people, especially those with HIV and Aids.
Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, who co-founded Sentebale alongside the duke in honour of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 2006 also stepped down as patron.
The Charity Commission published a report into the episode on Tuesday, criticising all sides for making the fallout public with interviews and statements, but the war of words has continued.
A source said earlier this week that the row had been “emotionally absolutely devastating” for Harry, and described Dr Chandauka’s comments as “nothing short of a hostile takeover”.
On Sunday, a spokesperson for the duke said: “The duke remains absolutely committed to continuing the work he started, supporting the children and young people of Lesotho and Botswana, nearly 20 years ago.
“In what form that support takes – no decisions have been made. All options remain on the table; whether that be starting a new charity or working to support pre-existing charities operating in the same sector in the region.”
The charity regulator, which cannot investigate individual allegations of bullying, said it found no evidence of systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity but acknowledged “the strong perception of ill treatment” felt by some involved.
The trustees who resigned said in a statement they were “gravely concerned for the future of the charity” as they felt the commission had “chosen to ignore key concerns and irrefutable evidence raised with them regarding the leadership and oversight of Sentebale’s chair”.
In response to the findings, Sentebale said in a statement: “The Charity Commission is explicitly clear, including in its public guidance, that it is not the commission’s responsibility to adjudicate or mediate internal disputes. This would include individual allegations of bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir, etc.
“As a result, the commission has not investigated any individual allegations and therefore has not made any findings in relation to individuals, including Prince Harry. The issues not investigated by the commission can and may be dealt with through avenues more appropriate than the commission.”
