Prince Harry faced a significant setback last year when he resigned from Sentebale, the charity he established in Lesotho and Botswana in 2006, following internal conflicts with senior staff members. The details of Harry’s departure from the charity are outlined in a new book by royal author Tom Bower called “Betrayal: Power, Deceit, and the Fight for the Future of the Royal Family,” as serialized by The Times.
According to the book, Harry’s public persona began negatively impacting the charity’s donor relationships, with one individual making harsh remarks about Meghan Markle’s influencer status. In 2024, Harry revisited Lesotho after five years to assess Sentebale’s struggles in fundraising and staff discontent with compensation and working conditions.
During a tense meeting with charity trustees, a marketing consultant criticized Harry for overestimating the influence of his fame on attracting wealthy donors crucial to supporting the charity’s mission. The book quotes the expert advising Harry on the limitations of his public image and the challenges of fundraising efforts.
In another instance, a discussion between Harry and Sophie Chandauka, the chair of Sentebale, turned contentious as they clashed over charity issues. Harry expressed disappointment in the negative impact the brand audit had on both him and Meghan, leading to a decline in donations.
A lawyer for the charity delivered a reality check to Harry during a charity trip to Singapore, highlighting discomfort among sponsors regarding the couple’s public statements against the Royal Family, particularly in media appearances and Harry’s upcoming memoir.
Meanwhile, Meghan was making strides in the influencer world with her upcoming lifestyle brand, As Ever. The brand audit conducted by Sentebale revealed a decline in Harry’s personal brand value, partly attributed to associations with their media projects and Meghan’s limited brand value in the U.S. and globally.
Following the release of excerpts from the book, a spokesperson for Harry and Meghan strongly denounced the author’s allegations, criticizing the fixation and sensationalism in the claims made. The spokesperson highlighted the author’s history of speculative theories and lack of factual basis in his writings.