Prince Harry allegedly sent an “unpleasant” message to Dr. Sophie Chandauka, the chair of his Sentebale charity, after she refused to publicly defend Meghan Markle following an awkward exchange.
The Duke of Sussex, 40, reportedly demanded Chandauka to “explain herself” after she declined to issue a statement supporting his wife when their polo match tension made headlines in April 2024.
Video of the awkward exchange showed the “Suits” alum, 43, move Chandauka away from Harry as she clutched a trophy during a photo op.
As the tense moment made rounds on social media, Harry had his team ask the former global COO of Morgan Stanley’s shared services and banking operations to “issue some sort of a statement in support” of Markle, sources told The Telegraph.
“I knew what would happen if I did so, number one. And number two, because we cannot be an extension of the Sussexes,” Chandauka said of her decision to not issue a statement when asked.
According to the insider, Harry’s note to her was “unpleasant” and included “imperious” language.
The Post has reached out to Harry’s reps for comment.
Her refusal to speak out in defense of the former actress kickstarted a bitter feud behind closed doors, which prompted Harry’s abrupt and shocking exit from the charity last week.
While a Sentebale spokesman confirmed that “this is true” and “there is a document,” the Daily Mail reported Monday that the foundation did “not have consent to share the communication.”
Last week, Chandauka detailed Harry’s polo fundraiser on “Sunday Morning With Trevor Phillips,” revealing that it “went badly.”
In addition to a last-minute switch-up of the venue, the charity’s chief claimed that Markle caused a major disruption.
“The duchess decided to attend, but she told us she wasn’t attending, and she brought a friend, a very famous friend, [Serena Williams],” she claimed last week.
This was why “the choreography went badly on stage,” Chandauka noted over the weekend, referencing the since-viral video of Markle repeatedly asking her to move.
She has since called the Sussex brand “toxic,” and accused Harry of “harassment and bullying at scale.”
“Really, what Prince Harry wanted to do was to eject me from the organization and this went on for months. I have documentation,” she said.
In a statement last week, Harry said he was devastated and “in shock” to step down from Sentebale, the youth-focused organization that he co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.
“With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as patrons of the organization until further notice, in support of and solidarity with the board of trustees who have had to do the same,” they said.
“It is devastating that the relationship between the charity’s trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation.”
“What’s transpired is unthinkable,” the pair’s statement continued. “We are in shock that we have to do this, but we have a continued responsibility to Sentebale’s beneficiaries, so we will be sharing all of our concerns with the Charity Commission as to how this came about.”
The duke founded his charity, which translates to “Forget me not,” to honor his late mother, whose favorite flowers were forget-me-nots. The charity helps disadvantaged children.
