Prince Harry has been left reeling after the charity he co-founded issued a stinging rebuke following news that he had decided to stand down from the organisation.

Sentebale, which was formed in 2006 in memory of Harry’s late mother to help Aids orphans in southern Africa, yesterday issued a statement suggesting ‘people in the field’ were more important than its trustees.

The charity posted a message on social media that many will interpret as a ‘P45’ to the prince. It read: ‘While Trustees are key for governance and regulation, and Patrons – especially Founders – are an honour to have, it’s the people in the field who are advancing the work, no matter what.’

The charity also reiterated its commitment to supporting young people in the region without the support of its royal patron, who sensationally stepped back from his role in protest at the ‘untenable’ actions of the chair of its board, Zimbabwean-born lawyer Sophie Chandauka.

Sources say after the board of trustees formally requested Ms Chandauka’s resignation she declined and then, when they tried to force the move through with a vote, she filed a legal challenge at the High Court to the prevent their meeting.

While there is no formal record of proceedings at the Royal Courts of Justice, it is claimed that the court did not grant an injunction and, as the charity board meeting was ultimately cancelled, the judge decided that no further hearing or court appearance was necessary.

It is not clear where this leaves Ms Chandauka’s legal challenge.

It is also understood that Prince Harry is not personally the subject of any legal action in this matter.

Ms Chandauka also said she had filed a report to the Charity Commission.

And while she did not mention Harry by name, she made no secret of where she feels the blame lies as a ‘proud African’.

In a highly-charged statement she 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.’

There was a deafening public silence to the highly-damaging claims by Harry, who co-founded Sentebale with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, younger brother of the country’s king.

But a source who has known the prince since the charity’s inception told the Mail: ‘There’s no way of sugar-coating the damage of this, regardless of who’s in the right. He’ll be reeling.’

The drama centres around Sentebale’s decision last year to centralise its command structure from London to Southern Africa to better ‘reflect’ the region and its needs.

It seemed to spark a wave of departures following what Sentebale describes as a ‘restructuring’ of its board.

This, in turn, appeared to prompt a backlash against Ms Chandauka, who was appointed as chair in July 2023 after serving for six years on the charity’s board.

Citing a ‘loss in trust and confidence’ in her, the trustees, many of whom are long-term friends and supporters of Harry, demanded she stand down.

Instead she retaliated by seeking action at the High Court, forcing them to keep her in post. 

Matters came to a head this week when Harry and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso, released a joint statement saying they were ‘truly heartbroken’ about the developments and announcing their resignations as patrons in solidarity with the board of trustees, who were also stepping down. 

The five former trustees, who include Harry’s long-time mentor, Mark Dyer, a former army captain who accompanied him on his first gap year trip to Lesotho, added: ‘Today’s decision is nothing short of devastating for all of us, but we see no other path forward as the result of our loss in trust and confidence in the chair of the board.’

Sentebale say they have not been formally notified of Harry’s decision to stand down. However it also issued Ms Chandauka’s statement in which she spoke of her decision to join Sentebale ‘as a proud African’, insisting: ‘Everything I do at Sentebale is in pursuit of the integrity of the organisation, its mission, and the young people we serve.

‘My actions are guided by the principles of fairness and equitable treatment for all, regardless of social status or financial means.’

Turning her attentions to the prince and his trustees, she continued her devastating accusations saying: ‘Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to 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. 

‘I could be anyone. I just happen to be an educated woman who understands that the law will guide and protect me.’ The term ‘misogynoir’ refers to prejudice against black women.

In an apparent further dig at Harry, she added that ‘for me, this is not a vanity project from which I can resign when I am called to account’.

She said: ‘I am an African who has had the privilege of a worldclass education and career. I will not be intimidated. I must stand for something.’

And she insisted that she would not step down from her role.One source close to the prince told the Mail that it was a ‘hugely sensitive’ situation and urged people to see ‘the facts play out’.

‘The charity commission will investigate. That process needs to happen,’ they said.