It is arguably one of the most challenging periods the Duke of Sussex has faced since his departure from the UK.
Left “reeling” by the extraordinary dispute that led to his resignation from Sentebale, the charity he founded in memory of his mother Diana, Princess of Wales, Prince Harry now faces a battle for his security in the UK.
His lawyers return to the Court of Appeal this week in an attempt to have the protection arrangements he enjoyed as a working royal reinstated to cover him when he is in the country. And the outcome could prove to be a make-or-break moment for the Duke’s future plans.
Meanwhile, on the same day his case opens, his wife the Duchess will launch a new podcast, Confessions of a Female Founder. Produced by Lemonada Media, it arrives less than a week after she released a limited batch of As Ever products that sold out in under an hour.
But as Meghan’s commercial career takes off, Prince Harry finds himself on a very different path, suddenly fighting to protect his legacy, as well as his future, as a philanthropist.
© GettyFor the past fortnight, he has been at the centre of an astonishing crisis at Sentebale, the charity he set up nearly two decades ago after being moved to act by helping care for young HIV/Aids orphans during a life-changing gap year stay in the African kingdom of Lesotho.
Crisis of confidence
Harry served as co-founder and patron with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho until last month, when both resigned in solidarity with the board of trustees after “losing confidence” in the chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, who has refused to stand down.
She in turn has hit back in a series of interviews, accusing the Duke and the former trustees of “harassment and bullying at scale”. She also claims that she experienced “disrespect, bullying and intimidation” and “misogyny and misogynoir” in her role, all of which has been strongly denied by the other side.
© PA Images via Getty ImagesLast week, both sides welcomed the Charity Commission’s confirmation that it had opened a regulatory compliance case into Sentebale.
As patron, Prince Harry does not share the legal responsibilities of trustees. But the commission will look at claims by Sophie that having trustees who are friends of the Duke affected decision-making and future planning.
In a statement, Prince Harry said it had been “heartbreaking to witness” what had happened, adding: “No one suffers more than the beneficiaries of Sentebale itself.”
© Brian Otieno / GettyDescribing his “relief” and that of the former trustees that a robust inquiry was taking place, he added: “We fully expect it will unveil the truth that collectively forced us to resign.”
“The rug has been pulled from underneath him,” a longtime friend of the Duke tells HELLO!. “He’s distraught. He’s just absolutely reeling – it’s difficult for him to put into words.”
© Brian Otieno / GettyHarry last visited Lesotho in October last year, 20 years after his first trip there, when he was so moved by the plight of the country’s children that he set up the charity and took part in regular polo and music fundraisers for it.
“Sentebale is the absolute beating heart of where Harry’s mission in life started,” adds the friend. “This was his first-ever project. This was his baby. This is the one that he has stood up for time and time and time again.”
© Getty Images for SentebaleThe Duke is understood to be in a state of disbelief over what has happened, but, says the friend: “Harry is supremely confident that all of these baseless allegations will eventually fall by the wayside, as they are one by one proven to be untrue. He welcomes the Charity Commission’s investigation; he stands by his trustees.
“But more than anything, he’s just so saddened and disappointed.”
HELLO! understands that old friends have been reaching out to offer the Duke support, as has Prince Seeiso. “He knows that Harry’s the one who has always carried this and he’s the one who’s copping all of the flak – he thinks how unfair that is,” a source says.
Needing a purpose
The hugely troubling row comes at a difficult moment for Harry, who wants to become more involved in his charitable work as Meghan moves fully into her business career.
“He’s happiest with a mission, with a cause, whether it be Invictus, Walking with the Wounded, Sentebale; that’s what he loves doing,” a friend says.
“For him to further that career away from Meghan is actually a really happy place for him. He can go and not have to worry about her, not have to worry about everything. He can just be him. His children are now both at school, so he’s thinking: ‘I’ve got a little bit of time now – which of my projects, old, new or future, am I going to be able to give some time to?’ He would want Sentebale to be right up there.”
© GettyFor Harry, this week’s Court of Appeal challenge is about his safety and that of his family while they are in the UK.
A friend tells HELLO!: “It’s important to him that his kids are able to visit and have happy memories of the UK, but their safety is obviously his main priority.”
© NetflixSpending more time here might eventually help to restore relations with his estranged father the King. But he also wants to be able to return to support his remaining patronages: WellChild, Scotty’s Little Soldiers and the Invictus Games.
“He’s committed to supporting his UK charities but can’t do that unless it’s safe for him and everyone involved; that’s why we only see him for a day here or there at a time,” another friend says.
WellChild’s chief executive Matt James tells HELLO!: “There is no doubt that having greater time with the Duke, face to face, would have a material impact on us being able to achieve the things we want to achieve.”
© GettyNikki Scott, who founded Scotty’s Little Soldiers to support children who have experienced the death of a parent who served in the UK armed forces, following the loss of her husband Corporal Lee Scott in Afghanistan in 2009, agrees.
“Having the Duke attend an event in person means the world to members of Scotty’s – they know he understands them,” she says. “If he was able to come to the UK more, it would make a massive difference to us.”
Crucial moment
A great deal hinges, therefore, on the outcome of this week’s hearing, part of which will be held in private. And for Harry, whom friends say has been dealt the lowest of blows so recently, it seems the stakes couldn’t be higher.
“Harry’s departure from Sentebale is not just the end of a chapter – it feels like a quiet surrender of purpose,” PR expert Mark Borkowski says. “Sentebale was rooted in real emotion, a deeply personal continuation of his mother’s humanitarian spirit, forged before the Hollywood handlers.”
© Brian Otieno / GettyHe adds of the Sussexes: “Together, they once shook up the monarchy. Now, one is building a brand. The other is losing his.”
Friends of Prince Harry, however, say there is hope that he will eventually be able to return to Sentebale once the situation has been resolved, with one telling HELLO!: “He is very confident that his charity will remain strong.”
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