REVEALED: Harry’s Sentebale crisis ‘started with Meghan’: Insiders believe she ‘never liked’ charity chief – and tell for first time of astonishing unknown ‘snub’ that changed everything

One subject monopolised conversation when Lesotho’s wealthy and powerful gathered at their favourite haunts in the capital Maseru last week.

Unsurprisingly it was the internecine wrangling at Sentebale, Prince Harry’s cherished African charity. With barbs and brickbats flying almost daily, there was much to mull over.

Specifically, though, the discussions centred on the Duchess of Sussex, hitherto something of a bit-part player in this sorry affair, which saw Harry dramatically quit the charity last month ‘in solidarity’ with its disgruntled trustees who resigned when relations with its chairwoman, Dr Sophie Chandauka, broke down beyond repair.

In an explosive response, Dr Chandauka claimed donors dropped their support because of the prince’s reputation after he quit his royal duties.

And she alleged that Harry ‘unleashed the Sussex machine’ on her in a case of ‘harassment and bullying at scale’ after she tried to bring in changes.

‘The problem, though, started with Meghan,’ one informed source told The Mail on Sunday. ‘Meghan doesn’t like Sophie.’

Much like Meghan herself, Oxford-educated Dr Chandauka, 47, is a forthright woman. An award-winning lawyer and entrepreneur, she has led Lesotho-based Sentebale since 2023 when, hailing her appointment, Harry praised her passion for social change.

Perhaps it was inevitable that these formidable women would one day collide, and they seemed to do just that last April when the Duchess appeared to usher the charity boss away from her husband on stage at a polo match.

An insider told this newspaper that the royal couple believed Dr Chandauka was ‘obsessed’ with Meghan ‘in a fan girl kind of way’. This was denied by Sentebale

Dr Sophie Chandauka claimed donors dropped their support for the charity because of the prince’s reputation after he quit his royal duties

But as The Mail on Sunday reveals today, it is what happened before and after this awkward interaction that is significant – pointing to a deeper animosity between the two women than first suspected, and casting new light on Sentebale’s unravelling.

Although Harry was playing that day, Meghan had pointedly said she would not attend the match at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Florida, to raise funds for Sentebale.

But the Duchess arrived unexpectedly with a celebrity pal, tennis star Serena Williams, in tow. Dr Chandauka greeted Meghan warmly – or tried to – but, say sources, received only a perfunctory ‘Hi’ in return. The Duchess then turned sharply away and sauntered to a marquee with Serena ‘to drink champagne’.

‘She [Dr Chandauka] wanted to take her around, to introduce her to other people, but Meghan didn’t want to mingle or engage with those supporting the event,’ said a source.

‘She went off to the tent. Sophie found it rude. Staff working that day were asked to get champagne for Meghan, they were scrambling around – Sentebale and Archewell [Harry and Meghan’s charitable organisation] staff were both having to do that. Sentebale were not happy about this at all.’

Not that Dr Chandauka betrayed any outward annoyance. On the day she talked warmly of Harry, of how he set up the charity with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho creating ‘a platform and profile for the organisation that’s potentially unrivalled’.

Harry and Meghan just after the awkward trophy moment, when the Duchess appeared to usher the charity boss (far right) away from her husband on stage at a polo match

And she spoke of her hopes that the Duke and Duchess would bring their children, Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, to Africa. ‘I can tell you that there are many people in Botswana, in Lesotho, in South Africa, who have loved the Duke, who have loved the Duchess and who are excited about the idea of welcoming the kids to Africa,’ said Dr Chandauka.

Less than an hour later, she found herself on a crowded podium with Harry, his team-mates – and Meghan.

Footage showed that after handing Harry a trophy, Dr Chandauka, who was standing on his right, was asked twice by Meghan to move to her left side away from him.

He had his arm around his wife while others shuffled to find a place. Dr Chandauka then had to duck under the trophy to adopt the position indicated by Meghan.

The Duchess arrived at the polo match unexpectedly with a celebrity pal, tennis star Serena Williams (facing camera), in tow. Dr Chandauka (in corner of photo) greeted Meghan warmly – or tried to – but, say sources, received only a perfunctory ‘Hi’ in return

Sources close to Harry and Meghan hit back yesterday, saying this moment was misrepresented. They argued that the Duchess is clearly heard ‘politely offering assistance’ in the footage, saying to Dr Chandauka: ‘Do you want to come over here?’ The sources said the incident was ‘weaponised as a negative attack’ and denied there was an issue on stage.

Dr Chandauka would later suggest that a Netflix TV crew caused disruption, but sources say she seemed more than happy at the time. In an interview on the day she described Netflix’s involvement as a great opportunity for Sentebale to gain exposure through a global platform.

Another insider told this newspaper that the couple believed Dr Chandauka was ‘obsessed’ with Meghan ‘in a fan girl kind of way’. This was denied by Sentebale.

By all accounts Harry and the charity boss had previously got on well, but the polo match marked what one source called a ‘turning point’. Harry tried to make Dr Chandauka defend Meghan publicly afterwards but the charity boss refused, saying last week that she did not want to become an extension of the Sussexes’ PR machine.

A source said: ‘Above all else, it was the way she says Meghan snubbed her on arrival that was the reason she wouldn’t issue some kind of supporting statement.

‘Meghan then sent something to Sophie and Sophie responded and after that she [Sophie] was persona non grata. Harry sided with Meghan – he always does as he is dazzled by her. In his eyes she can do no wrong, even when it comes to behaving like that at a charity event. He was raging all day about it.

‘Any time Meghan is spoken of badly, he gets the hump.’

Perhaps his mood influenced his decision to send what has been called an ‘unpleasant’ and ‘imperious’ note to Dr Chandauka demanding that she ‘explain herself’ when she refused to defend his wife.

Dr Chandauka said Harry had, via his team, asked her to ‘issue some sort of statement in support’ of Meghan to quash rumours of tension between them. The note left Dr Chandauka upset, the source said.

While the main protagonists were squabbling in the aftermath of the polo event, so too were their aides. ‘Sentebale then complained about Team Archewell – they thought they were rude,’ a source told The Mail on Sunday.

‘There were comments on the day about how Archewell’s glossy PR machine made it all look good, but in reality, on the ground, they were not very nice. That caused a lot of unrest and bad blood.’

Needless to say, the much longed-for visit to Lesotho by Meghan and her children was never forthcoming. And now Dr Chandauka has – in her own words – ‘dared to blow the whistle’ on Harry’s charity over alleged racist bullying of black women.

Dr Chandauka was appointed chairman after a six-year stint serving on its board from 2009 to 2015. In less than two years at the helm, she has found herself at the centre of a major controversy.

The lawyer, who has worked for Meta, Morgan Stanley and Virgin Money, rose from being a trainee solicitor to advising on multi-million-pound deals. Speaking at the time of her appointment as Sentebale chairman, Dr Chandauka cited her rise from ‘the young girl from Zimbabwe’ to having a ‘world-class education and career’.

She added that this was an inspiration for the charity’s ‘capacity to transform lives’ and inspire young people to ‘define their own destinies’. Dr Chandauka received an MBE in 2021 for extraordinary services to diversity in business.

In 2005 she qualified as a corporate lawyer with Baker and McKenzie in London before being headhunted for a senior role at Virgin Money.

Last week, the Charity Commission said it had begun ‘a regulatory compliance case’ to examine concerns about Sentebale. After the announcement, the Duke said: ‘From the inception of Sentebale nearly 20 years ago, Prince Seeiso and I have had a clear goal: to support the children and young people in southern Africa in memory of our mothers.

Prince Harry and Dr Chandauka with Nacho Figueras (left), an ambassador for Sentebale and the charity’s CEO Richard Miller

‘What has transpired over the last week has been heartbreaking to witness, especially when such blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades in this shared goal. No one suffers more than the beneficiaries of Sentebale itself.

‘On behalf of the former trustees and patrons, we share in the relief that the Charity Commission confirmed they will be conducting a robust inquiry.

‘We fully expect it will unveil the truth that collectively forced us to resign.

‘We remain hopeful this will allow for the charity to be put in the right hands immediately, for the sake of the communities we serve.’

With the claims and counter-claims still flying, one man who has maintained a dignified silence is Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. He has called Harry his brother but has so far refused to criticise Dr Chandauka publicly, perhaps, as some in his country suggest, because he feels some sympathy towards her.

When The Mail on Sunday caught up with him in Maseru last week he said only: ‘It’s a very sad and very unfortunate situation for everyone concerned.’