Prince Harry‘s withdrawal from his African charity, Sentebale, has been criticized by Chief Khoabane Theko, the brother of the organization’s co-founder, Prince Seeiso.

Theko voiced his disappointment with the Duke of Sussex in an interview and claimed that he lost interest in the charity after marrying Meghan Markle.

Meanwhile, Sentebale chair Dr. Sophie Chandauka accused Prince Harry of “harassment” and “bullying” following his resignation.

In a recent chat with The Telegraph, Chief Khoabane Theko slammed Prince Harry, suggesting the Duke’s once-strong commitment to Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in 2006 with Theko’s brother, Prince Seeiso, has faded over the years, especially after his marriage to Meghan and exit from royal life.

Chief Theko remarked that Harry’s withdrawal had drained the energy and spirit from the organization, which the prince created to support vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho and Botswana.

However, despite the recent development, Theko noted that Harry’s absence has been noticeable for years.

He explained that the Duke’s last trip to Lesotho came in October 2024, his first visit in six years. Before that, he shared that Harry had visited the country multiple times between 2010 and 2015 and often spoke passionately about his late mother, Princess Diana’s, love for Africa, which inspired his early dedication to the cause.

“When [Sentebale] was launched, I remember his words quite vividly, because he was very strong in saying ‘my mother, this place, her passion about Africa’ and all that,” Theko recalled. “He’s a loved figure because of his openness, but his loss of interest has totally killed the spirit of the Sentebale’s survival.”

He added pointedly, “I haven’t seen him [Prince Harry] since he got himself married.”

Theko noted that he had always seen Harry as a “very down-to-earth person” who was not “self-indulgent” during his earlier visits to Lesotho, which made his recent withdrawal from the organization even more puzzling.

“I’m surprised that he’s relinquishing the [charity] at this stage when one expected that he would jealously guard it because it’s under his mother’s legacy and I thought he would want to die for it,” Theko said.

Still, the chief expressed hope that Harry might one day return to restore his role in the organization.

“Maybe, he is prepared to come after and come fix it and get it back because I do not believe it comes easy to him to want to give it up, like he’s doing it’s a little bit strange for me,” he said.

The Lesotho royal also commented on Meghan’s absence from the region, noting that the Duchess of Sussex had never visited Lesotho.

“Did she never come to Lesotho, Meghan? No, she hasn’t. So it seems like she’s a far-away person for us, we do not know about her,” he said of the As Ever founder.

Although Harry and Markle have traveled to several African countries, most notably a trip to Botswana for Meghan’s birthday in 2017, Theko expressed surprise and disappointment that the couple never made a stop in Lesotho, given Harry’s connection to the country.

“I was surprised to see them come to Botswana but not Lesotho, knowing what they have in Lesotho would be bringing them closer to our shores,” he said. “But they returned from Botswana and I was a little bit perturbed by that.”

Theko went on to say he had expected Lesotho to be a regular stop for the couple, especially after their marriage and Harry’s continued visits to other African nations.

“I thought they would do that more often,” he noted, “because he’s been visiting a lot of African states after their marriage.”

Theko’s comments come in the wake of Harry and the entire Sentebale board stepping down from the charity in March, an outcome the Duke said left him feeling devastated.

In a joint statement with co-founder Prince Seeiso, the Duke acknowledged that tensions with the organization’s chair, Dr. Sophie Chandauka, had reached a breaking point.

“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,” Harry and Seeiso’s statement read, per the Daily Mail.

He added, “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.”

Following Harry’s departure from Sentebale, the charity’s chairwoman, Dr. Chandauka, came forward with serious accusations, alleging that she’s been subjected to “harassment,” “bullying,” and even “misogynoir” by the organization’s former leadership.

In an interview with Sky News, Chandauka claimed that Harry and Seeiso had “unleashed” a calculated public relations effort against her after releasing the joint statement announcing their resignation without her prior knowledge or consultation.

“The only reason I’m here is because at some point, Prince Harry authorized the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world without informing me or my country directors, or my executive director,” Chandauka said. “Imagine what that attack has done for me, on me and the 540 individuals in the Sentebale organizations and their famil[ies]? That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale.”

In response, a source close to the former trustees dismissed the claims as “completely baseless,” claiming that the ex-trustees “fully expected this publicity stunt and reached their collective decision with this in mind.”