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The chair of the charity set up by Prince Harry has accused him of “harassment and bullying at scale” after he and several others quit the organisation earlier this week.

The Duke of Sussex was said to have initiated the campaign by the “unleashing of the Sussex [PR] machine”.

Sentebale chair Dr Sophie Chandauka told Trevor Phillips on Sky’s Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips: “The only reason I’m here… is because at some point on Tuesday, Prince Harry authorised the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world without informing me or my country directors, or my executive director.

“And can you imagine what that attack has done for me, on me and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organisations and their family?

“That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale.”

Sky News contacted the Duke and Duchess of Sussex about the contents of the interview and they declined to offer any formal response.

A source close to the former trustees of the Sentebale charity has described as “completely baseless” Dr Chandauka’s claims that she was bullied and harassed, briefed against by Prince Harry, or that the Sussex machine was unleashed on her.

Sophie Chandauka, chair of the charity Sentebale, speaks to Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News
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Dr Chandauka speaks with Sky’s Sir Trevor Phillips

On Tuesday, Prince Harry quit as patron of the charity, which he set up in honour of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales.

Sentebale has spectacularly pushed Trump, Putin and spring statement out of the headlines

It takes something pretty spectacular to knock Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin and Rachel Reeves out of the headlines. But this week, the goings-on at a small, Africa-based charity did exactly that.

A spate of resignations at Sentebale, set up to support families with children stricken with AIDS, garnered global attention.

The reason is, of course, that the charity’s patron was the Duke of Sussex, formerly HRH Prince Harry, who created the organisation partly in memory of his mother, Diana, the Princess of Wales.

The conflict has torn the charity apart, and threatens its life-saving work – not to mention the reputations of all involved.

The organisation’s chair, Sophie Chandauka, is a distinguished Zimbabwean-born corporate lawyer, who I have known for many years. We have worked together to persuade City firms to increase the gender and ethnic diversity of their boards.

But I had little knowledge of her royal connections until now.

In our interview, she accuses the Duke of unleashing “the Sussex machine” on her and Sentebale’s staff.

A source close to the former trustees of the charity has described the claims as “completely baseless”.

Watch the entire interview, and judge for yourself.

At the time, he released a joint statement with co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, saying they had been forced to step down “in support of and solidarity with” the board of trustees who had also resigned, following their disagreements with the chairwoman.

They wrote that the relationship “broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation”.

The problems reportedly stem from a decision to focus fundraising in Africa.

In a statement earlier this week, seemingly targeted at Prince Harry, Dr Chandauka said: “There are people in this world who behave as though they are above the law and mistreat people, and then play the victim card and use the very press they disdain to harm people who have the courage to challenge their conduct.

“Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to the press is the story of a woman who dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir – and the cover-up that ensued.”

Harry’s behaviour has been called into question once again

This could not be more damning to a charity that has meant so much to Prince Harry.

Sophie Chandauka laying the blame for the collapse of Sentebale firmly at the door of the Duke of Sussex.

Her statement on Wednesday felt like a hit at him with its mention of using the press he despises, but now we’re left in no uncertain terms who she holds responsible.

There have been bullying allegations levelled at the Duke before, he refuted them then and those close to him refuse to accept them on this occasion too.

I spoke to one of the former trustees, Dr Kelello Lerotholi, who told me he didn’t recognise any of the allegations made.

He wanted to share with me that issues around stewardship, concerns about the future direction of the charity, and financial worries led to this huge divide and breakdown between the trustees, the patrons and the chair.

Dr Lerotholi was also there from the very beginning – he met Harry when he went to Lesotho for his gap year, the foundation stone for setting up the charity in Princess Diana’s name.

He’s also a close friend of Prince Seisso, Sentebale’s co-founder. He couldn’t have been clearer that this has left them all devastated.

I went to Lesotho in 2015 when they opened the Mamohato Centre – a place for children and teenagers who had HIV and AIDS to share their experiences and a place where it was clear Harry felt at home.

Yet now after five years where Harry has had to give up so much, his beloved charity, how it’s been run and the behaviour of those within it is now at the centre of a UK Charity Commission investigation.

The behaviour of Harry has been called into question in the most serious way.

On Wednesday, a former trustee of Sentebale, Dr Kelello Lerotholi, told Sky’s royal correspondent Rhiannon Mills he did not recognise any of the allegations.

Dr Lerotholi said he had never witnessed these issues and that the claims “came to me as a surprise”.

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‘This all came as a shock to me’

Read more:
Prince Harry ‘in shock’ as he quits Sentebale charity

Charity misconduct claims ‘a surprise’, says Sentebale trustee

“I can honestly say, in the meetings I was present in, there was never even a hint of such,” he said.

“The general tone and conduct of the board has been one of respect for each other, accommodating each other’s opinions and inputs, and speaking with respect to each other.

“So this all came as a shock to me.”

Sentebale was established in 2006 to help children and young people in southern Africa, particularly those with HIV and Aids.

Prince Harry was inspired to start the charity after spending two months in Lesotho, when he was on a gap year in 2004.

He was in the small African country – which has one of the world’s highest rates of HIV and AIDS – as recently as last October.

You can watch Trevor Phillips’ full interview with Dr Sophie Chandauka tomorrow morning on ‘Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips’ from 8:30am on Sky News.

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First victim of serial paedophile Richard Burrows regrets not reporting assault at the time

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First victim of serial paedophile Richard Burrows regrets not reporting assault at the time

The first known victim of serial paedophile Richard Burrows has told Sky News he regrets not reporting his assault at the time to save others from “falling into the same trap”.

Burrows, 81, will learn his sentence at Chester Crown Court today after being convicted last month of dozens of sexual offences against young boys.

The judge told him it is “inevitable” he might never be released.

The former scout master had spent 27 years on the run, living in what he called “paradise” in Thailand, after stealing the identity of a friend and fleeing the UK when he was due in court in 1997.

Richard Burrows asia feature -
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A police photo of Burrows from the 1990s. Pic: Cheshire Police

He was arrested when he arrived at Heathrow in March last year.

The trial heard that Burrows had obtained positions of authority and systematically abused boys from the 1960s to the mid-1990s.

He had worked as a housemaster at a school for troubled boys and befriended other youngsters through amateur radio clubs.

One of those was his first victim, aged 14 at the time in the late 1960s, and now 71.

He told Sky News: “It’s been an awfully long time and after 57 years I’ve got to see the results at the end of it.

“It does actually feel like a weight’s been lifted. You hear that expression all through life, but it’s the first time ever really felt it.”

He described Burrows as a “devious, nasty creature”.

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Decades on the beach – sex offender’s life in hiding

The man, who cannot be identified as he is the victim of a sexual offence, attended Burrows’s trial and delivered a victim impact statement at his sentencing.

He said he wanted to do this because of the regret he carries to this day.

“I wish I’d said something when it happened because I feel that, in retrospect, if I would have said something, then maybe it would have stopped other people from falling into the same trap that I did,” he added.

“But at that time, at that age, I thought I probably wouldn’t have been believed, and I felt too ashamed and embarrassed and even guilty to even mention it to anybody else. So, I didn’t, and I regret not doing that.”

Photos of Burrows in Thailand. Pic: Cheshire Police
Image:
Photos of Burrows in Thailand. Pic: Cheshire Police

The man contacted police after seeing an appeal for help in finding the fugitive Burrows on the BBC’s Crimewatch programme in 2011. It would be another decade before he was arrested.

He said: “I really begrudge him those 27 years. It’s 27 years and he’s just left a trail of wreckage behind him while he’s enjoying himself.

“It’s a shame he’s not got another 27 years to look forward to in jail.”

Although he was the earliest victim on the indictment at Burrows’s trial, like detectives from Cheshire Police, he believes there could be other victims who have not come forward.

He said: “Personally, I don’t think I was the first victim. I think that he was probably fairly well practiced in the art of what he was doing prior to my meeting him.”

Richard Burrows, 80, is on trial for child sex offences.  Burrows worked at a school in Cheshire in the 1960s, where he allegedly preyed on vulnerable youngsters.
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Burrows being met by police at Heathrow. Pic: Cheshire Police

Burrows was initially charged in May 1997 but failed to attend a hearing later that year.

He remained on the wanted list until police using facial recognition software matched him to a man using the name Peter Smith. He had stolen the identity of a terminally ill friend to obtain a passport.

After his conviction in March, judge Steven Everett told Burrows he had caused “untold distress and trauma to the victims and their families”.

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UK joins US in strike on Houthi target in Yemen for first time since Donald Trump re-elected

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UK joins US in strike on Houthi target in Yemen for first time since Donald Trump re-elected

The UK has joined US forces in attacking a Houthi target in Yemen for the first time since Donald Trump was re-elected.

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) confirmed the strikes took place on Tuesday as part of the government’s response to Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.

The ministry said careful intelligence analysis identified a cluster of buildings used by the Houthis to manufacture the sort of drones used to attack ships, located 15 miles south of the capital Sanaa.

RAF Typhoon FGR4s conducted strikes on several buildings using Paveway IV precision-guided bombs.

The planes had air refuelling support from Voyager tankers.

The ministry said the strike was conducted after dark to reduce the likelihood of civilians being in the area.

All the aircraft returned safely.

John Healey during the press conference.
Pic: Reuters
Image:
John Healey. Pic: Reuters

Defence Secretary John Healey said: “This government will always act in the interests of our national and economic security.

“Royal Air Force Typhoons have successfully conducted strikes against a Houthi military target in Yemen and all UK aircraft and personnel have returned safely to base.

“We conducted these strikes, supported by the US, to degrade Houthi capabilities and prevent further attacks against UK and international shipping.”

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Houthis a ‘persistent threat’ to ‘freedom of navigation’

Mr Healey said Houthi activities in the Red Sea are a “persistent threat” to “freedom of navigation”.

“A 55% drop in shipping through the Red Sea has already cost billions, fuelling regional instability and risking economic security for families in the UK,” he said.

“The government is steadfast in our commitment to reinforcing global stability and protecting British working people. I am proud of the dedication and professionalism shown by the service men and women involved in this operation.”

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US intensifies strikes on Houthis

It was the first time UK forces have struck a target in Yemen since May last year, the ministry confirmed.

The US has intensified its strikes on the Iran-backed Houthis under Mr Trump’s presidency, after his re-election in November 2024.

The group began launching attacks on shipping routes in November 2023 saying they were in solidarity with Palestinians over Israel’s war with Hamas in Gaza.

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Footage showing people being pulled from rubble has been released by Houthi rebels in Yemen

The strike came after a Houthi-controlled TV channel claimed a US strike killed 68 people at a detention centre for African migrants in Yemen on Monday.

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Woman dies in skydiving incident in County Durham

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Woman dies in skydiving incident in County Durham

A woman has died in a skydiving incident in County Durham.

Emergency crews were called to Wreford’s Farm in Shotton Colliery, near Peterlee, on Sunday morning.

The woman, aged in her 30s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

A Durham Constabulary spokesperson said the woman’s death is not being treated as suspicious and a file will be prepared for the coroner.

North East Ambulance Service said it was called to the incident at 10.17am on Sunday.

“We dispatched one ambulance crew and one specialist paramedic to the incident,” a spokesperson added.

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House destroyed after explosion
Canadian PM issues Trump warning

Wreford’s Farm is described on its website as a “small, family run farm” which produces pork and beef using “regenerative agriculture”.

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