'Heartbreaking to witness': Prince Harry speaks out as UK watchdog launches Senetable probe after chairwoman accused him of bullying

Prince Harry has welcomed a probe into Sentebale by UK watchdog the Charity Commission after bullying accusations by chairwoman Sophie Chandauka.

The Duke of Sussex co-founded the African charity which provides support for young people in Botswana and Lesotho, along with Prince Seeiso of Lesetho nearly 20 years ago in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana.

Now, Britain's charity regulator has opened an investigation into Sentebale a week after the royals and other trustees resigned due to a dispute with the charity's chairwoman, Sophie Chandauka.

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Prince Harry said he hopes the Charity Commission will uncover "the truth" about what caused him to resign as patron of the charity he co-founded.

"What has transpired over the last week has been heartbreaking to witness, especially when such blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades in this shared goal," he said in a statement.

"No one suffers more than the beneficiaries of Sentebale itself."

Sentebale has been wracked by controversy since Prince Harry abruptly resigned on March 26, saying the relationship between the board and its chair was beyond repair.

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Chandauka later accused the Duke of Sussex of orchestrating a bullying and harassment campaign to try to force her out.

The Charity Commission said on Thursday that it was in "direct contact" with parties on both sides to gather evidence in its compliance case.

"The regulator's focus, in line with its statutory remit, will be to determine whether the charity's current and former trustees, including its chair, have fulfilled their duties and responsibilities under charity law," the commission said in a statement.

The Duke of Sussex's resignation came as Chandauka made allegations of bullying, harassment, sexism and racism against unnamed board members.

Prince Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho were patrons of Sentebale but weren't on the board of trustees.

They said they decided to relinquish their roles as ambassadors for the charity to support the former trustees in their dispute with Chandauka.

Chandauka, a corporate lawyer and businesswoman from Zimbabwe, welcomed the commission's actions and said she had reported various governance and administration issues to the agency in February.

She also said Sentebale initiated its own internal review last year.

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"We hope that, together, these actions will give the general public, our colleagues, partners, supporters, donors and the communities we serve comfort that Sentebale and its new Board of Trustees are acting appropriately to demonstrate and ensure good governance and a healthy culture for Sentebale to thrive," she said in a statement.

Chandauka took several shots at Prince Harry in an interview with Sky News on Sunday, describing how his Netflix deal interfered with a scheduled fundraiser and how an incident with his wife, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, became a source of friction.

Meghan is yet to make any public remarks on the case, as she focuses on the launch of her As ever product range.

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