Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s relationship with the royal family has been rocky since they stepped down from their royal duties.
But their problems extend far beyond Buckingham Palace.
And Meghan Markle made one move during a photo that just cost Prince Harry his charity.
Meghan’s awkward photo moment triggers charity scandal
Prince Harry founded the Sentebale charity in 2006 alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to honor their late mothers, Princess Diana and Queen Mother ‘Mamohato Bereng Seeiso.
The organization supports young people in Lesotho and Botswana and had been one of Harry’s most meaningful philanthropic endeavors.
But a seemingly innocent photo opportunity at the Royal Salute Polo Challenge in Florida in April 2024 set off a chain of events that would ultimately destroy Harry’s relationship with the charity.
Video from the April 2024 event captured what would become a defining moment in the charity’s downfall.
Dr. Chandauka had positioned herself next to Prince Harry for the trophy presentation after his team’s 3-1 victory over the Grand Champions Polo Club Team.
That’s when Meghan intervened, redirecting the chairwoman to stand beside her instead, forcing Chandauka to maneuver under the trophy in an uncomfortable repositioning.
The cameras captured every second of the awkward exchange, and the resulting media attention focused squarely on Meghan’s controlling behavior.
https://twitter.com/TribesBritannia/status/1953458574404776016
Harry’s team demands public defense of Meghan
The polo photo incident might have blown over if Harry’s team had simply ignored the media coverage.
Instead, they made a fatal mistake that escalated the situation into a full-blown scandal.
According to Dr. Chandauka, Prince Harry’s team contacted her after the incident and made an extraordinary request – they wanted her to publicly defend Meghan and issue a statement "quashing any rumours of tension" between her and the Duchess.¹
Chandauka refused to comply with the demand.
"I said no, we’re not setting a precedent by which we become an extension of the Sussex PR machine," Chandauka told the Financial Times.²
Her refusal to become part of what she viewed as a coordinated public relations campaign for Meghan didn’t sit well with Prince Harry.
The Telegraph reported that after Chandauka declined to issue the statement, Harry sent her a direct message that sources described as "unpleasant" in tone and "imperious" in language.³
The message allegedly demanded that Chandauka "explain herself" for refusing to defend Meghan publicly.
Charity falls apart after Meghan controversy
What started as an awkward photo moment spiraled into a complete breakdown of the charity’s leadership structure.
The dispute between Harry and Chandauka created an "untenable situation" that ultimately forced the Duke of Sussex to make a devastating decision.
In March, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso announced their resignation as patrons of Sentebale – the charity they had founded and led for nearly two decades.
"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. 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," they said in a joint statement.⁴
The board of trustees had asked Chandauka to resign from her chairwoman role, but she refused and instead filed a lawsuit against the charity.
According to sources familiar with the situation, Chandauka had placed "significant financial strain" on the organization during her tenure as chairwoman.⁵
A Sentebale source told People Magazine that when Chandauka was appointed in July 2023, "the organization was in stable financial standing, a situation which changed under her leadership."⁶
The trustees ultimately decided they "couldn’t in good conscience continue to place legal and financial strain on the charity" and resigned en masse.⁷
The real cost of Meghan’s control issues
The Sentebale scandal reveals a troubling pattern in how Meghan operates behind the scenes.
Her need to control even the smallest details – like who stands where in a photo – created a cascade of problems that destroyed one of Harry’s most important charitable relationships.
Chandauka’s refusal to become part of the "Sussex PR machine" exposes how Harry and Meghan expect organizations and individuals to serve their personal brand interests rather than their stated missions.
The charity had been thriving under Harry’s leadership for nearly 20 years before Meghan’s polo photo positioning sparked the controversy that ultimately led to its collapse.
This isn’t the first time Meghan’s behavior has created problems for the organizations Harry cares about.
Her disputes with royal staff during their time as working royals became so severe that multiple investigations were launched into allegations of bullying and harassment.
The Sentebale scandal shows that even Harry’s post-royal charitable work isn’t safe from Meghan’s need to control narratives and demand public loyalty.
What should have been a celebration of Harry’s polo victory turned into the beginning of the end for a charity that had helped thousands of young people in Africa.
The real tragedy is that the young people Sentebale serves are now paying the price for Meghan’s photo positioning power play and the couple’s subsequent demand for organizational loyalty.
¹ The Telegraph, "Prince Harry sent ‘unpleasant’ message to charity boss," March 31, 2025.
² Financial Times, "Sentebale chairwoman speaks on dispute with Prince Harry," March 29, 2025.
³ Ibid.
⁴ People Magazine, "Inside Meghan Markle’s Viral Polo Moment," August 6, 2025.
⁵ People Magazine, "Inside Meghan Markle’s Viral Polo Moment," August 6, 2025.
⁶ Ibid.
⁷ Ibid.
