Sentebale Chairwoman Talks About Her Experiences With Prince Harry At The Charity
Chandauka appeared on Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips on Sky News on Sunday, March 30th. She spoke about her experiences with Prince Harry over the years, and referenced a viral incident at last year's Royal Salute Polo Challenge at the Grand Champions Polo Club in Wellington, Florida, where Meghan Markle was also present.
The incident in question involved the Duchess of Sussex seemingly making Chandauka move positions so she wouldn't be standing next to Prince Harry in photographs after his team had won the trophy. Many people on social media slammed Meghan for this, labeling her "rude," "cringe," "insecure," and "bossy."
"The insecurity and rudeness of Meghan is on full display," one Instagram user commented at the time. "She really is a nasty piece of work," wrote another, as a third added: "Wow, such a self-obsessed woman."
"She is so rude and full of herself," wrote a TikTok user on a video of the incident shared just a few days ago. "Who the hell does she think she is? The trophy has nothing to do with her she is such an embarrassment," wrote a second, while a third added: "Meghan treated her appalling here. I hadn't forgotten. Meghan should not have been there." "Meghan has nothing at all to do with the charity she shouldn’t even be on that stage," thought a fourth.
Speaking to Sky News, Chandauka explained that the awkwardness stemmed from an overcrowded stage, which was partly blamed on the former Suits actress turning up to the event at the last minute.
"The choreography went badly on stage because we had too many people on stage," she said. "The international press captured this, and there was a lot of talk about the duchess and the choreography on stage, whether she should have been there, and her treatment of me."
Following the backlash, Chandauka claimed that Prince Harry asked her to issue a statement defending Meghan, but she refused. "I said I wouldn't. Not because I didn't care about the duchess, but because I knew what would happen if I did so, number one. And number two, because we cannot be an extension of the Sussexes."
Dr. Sophie Chandauka Makes Bullying Allegations
Chandauka accused Prince Harry of "harassment and bullying at scale" after he and several others resigned. She told Sky News: "The only reason I'm here is because, at some point on Tuesday, Prince Harry authorized the release of a damaging piece of news to the outside world without informing me, my country directors, or my executive director."
She added: "That is an example of harassment and bullying at scale." She also accused him of initiating the campaign through the "unleashing of the Sussex [PR] machine."
In a statement following Prince Harry's resignation, Chandauka said: "My actions are guided by the principles of fairness and equitable treatment for all, regardless of social status or financial means." She continued: "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."
She went on: "Beneath all the victim narrative and fiction that has been syndicated to the 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."
According to GB News, Prince Harry's reps have denied Chandauka's claims, describing them as "completely baseless."
Sources close to the Spare author have dismissed these allegations as a "deflection" from the real issues, reiterating that the resignations were a "direct result of the chair's mismanagement." They went on to say that Chandauka's account is "highly misleading," emphasizing that decisions were made collectively by the board and not unilaterally by Prince Harry.
Internet Reactions
Although Chandauka did not mention any names directly in her statement, social media users were convinced she was referring to Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, particularly regarding her comments about the "victim card."
"Whatever you think about the Sentebale scandal, you have to admit that this single sentence absolutely sums up Prince Harry and Meghan Markle," one X user wrote.
"No truer words were ever spoken," agreed a second, while a third added: "If there were no names involved, I'd know it was Harry by that sentence." "If I walked up to a light pole on the streets of NYC and saw a piece of paper nailed to it with these words, I would know exactly who they are talking about," echoed another.
"Yes, she described them perfectly, and now Markle and Harry will try to destroy her," wrote one more user. "Truly a perfect sentence to describe them," another agreed.