A bitter boardroom row at an African charity Prince Harry founded and then quit escalated on Sunday after its chairperson accused the prince of bullying and being involved in a cover up.

Earlier, Harry and Lesotho’s Prince Seeiso announced their departure from the Sentebale charity they founded in 2006 following a “devastating” dispute between trustees and board chair Sophie Chandauka.

Relations with Chandauka, who was appointed in 2023, “broke down beyond repair”, they said in a joint statement on Tuesday, prompting trustees to leave and demand that Chandauka resign.

In  the latest allegations, Chandauka accused Harry, who founded the charity in memory of his mother Princess Diana, of trying to force her out through bullying and harassment.

According to Chandauka, there was a culture of “silence” at the organisation, with board members reluctant to speak out against the Duke of Sussex, whom she accused of “belligerence” in board meetings and beyond.

In one example, Chandauka criticised Harry for his decision to bring a Netflix camera crew to the charity’s polo fundraiser last year, as well as an unplanned appearance by his wife Meghan at the event.