Sentebale no. 3

[Thedom]

The ex lead Patron Its getting plenty of media coverage today.

(ps, my hash key doesn't work )

I suspect - like many celebs- Elton wants to keep on with the RF and be invited to events hosted by Charles/ Camilla/ William / whoever .

Psk

Thinking about the timeline of SC's previous stint with Sentebale.

Did she leave because she knew it was appropriate for her to leave her trusteeship after a certain amount of time?

I wonder if she came back because she realised that people still hadn't left/were just voting themselves back in?

Yes Elton was a very big supporter at first and lent them houses and his private jet. They definitely seem to have fallen out in recent years - there have been various rumours but nothing concrete.

Also Elton's husband - David Furnish - was meant to be Executive Producer of Meghan's animated series Pearl said to be based on Meghan's life. However the series got axed by Netflix and there has been no hint of them working together again.

Cue Harry begging Elton and David Furnish to come to their defence now that it is being noted Elton might not be best buddies with them anymore.

Ah forgot about the Pearl link- yes maybe that’s what’s at the bottom of it!

The Polo would be attended by those who mixing with the rich and famous is no big deal. The award should have been presented by a Sentebale representative to showcase the charity. It was self indulgent and pretty stupid to have Meghan present as it resulted in the predicted outcome. Why would other sponsors look at that event and think to themselves that's a good way to promote our brand look at the coverage when the event couldn't even promote the charity correctly

'difficult ' because insists on rocking the (comfortable) boat?

Including that 'decades' of interest in Africa hasn't necessarily included challenging white saviourism?

I have a few questions about Lynda Chalker. Yes she was a very experienced pair of hands.

But at the time she joined Sentebale she owned a business consultancy operating in Africa (Africa Matters) - made me wonder about potential conflicts of interest and whether Sentebale purchased any consultancy services from her company.

Also she resigned in October 2024 - so has no true insight into what the board was doing right before the mass resignations. Also at 82 she may be one of those who was unable to contemplate changing direction and moving away from polo funding.

Of course to quote Meghan

"What these people are implying when they use that very charged word, is that this woman, ‘Oh she’s difficult,’” Meghan said. “Which is really just a euphemism, or is probably not even a euphemism. It’s really a code word for the b-word.”

"“Labelling a woman as a ‘b-word’ or as difficult is often a deflection,” she said. “A way to hide some of her really awesome qualities, her persistence or strength or perseverance, her strong opinion, maybe even her resilience.”

Poor little Archie has already got that message. " I can do it if you want me to "

I spent a couple of years in Southern Africa as governmental ARV programmes had upended the needs around HIV.

Prevention of mother to child transmission programmes cut the number of children born with HIV by huge numbers. Then the provosion of ARVs to those living with HIv. The major factors now are not medical, but socio-economic, which needs a different approach.

I earned a basic salary (NOT £100,000pa plus school fees!) to use my skills in organisational development and change management to help local NGOs work through that change, from redefining their role, to restructuring their services.

The context has changed by a huge degree since Sentebale was set up. There is still a lot of need, but I am not sure Harry's approach of a polo match every now and then, plus photos with cute black kids, is appropriate now. Even if it brought in the money, which doesn't seem to be the case any more.

There is no reason why he can't organise fundraising polo matches and donate the profits to whatever cause he chooses.

https://x.com/GlowanneLee/status/1906643798685286797. If it weren't so pathetic it would be funny.

There are plenty of people I have worked with, some in very senior positions, whom I could rightfully describe as “difficult”. Sometimes it means they are very black and white and are difficult to move from their initial position. Sometimes it means they have ingrained beliefs that colour their approach to most issues. Sometimes it means that they aren’t always as professional as I would like (i.e. they get irritated and let that show). None of those things mean these people are wrong, by the way, just that their personal style means they need more stakeholder management than others.

I don’t believe Baroness Chalker described Sophie Chandauka as “wrong” or “out of her depth” or “incompetent” or “dishonest” or anything similar, did she? Just “difficult”.

They still have a legal connection as I believe Harry and Elton are both plaintiffs in the court case against the Daily Mail (I think - tbh too many court cases to keep track of - due to go to trial in 2026). I also think that Harry joined the case after meeting David Sherborne KC at Elton's holiday home.

Harry may also be problematic for the case as he doesn't make the most credible witness in court.

When someone raises issues everyone else doesn't want to face they are being 'difficult'. It makes everyone else feel uncomfortable.

But the problem doesn't lie with the 'difficult' person raising the issue, it lies with the others who are avoiding the issue due to their discomfort.

I am sure it felt 'difficult' for Board members who are loyal to Harry to think about whether it was/is in Sentebale's interests to continue having him as patron.

That doesn't reflect badly on SC, it reflects badly on the trustees who couldn't prioritise their responsibilities as trustees over their loyalty to the patron.

I read that Harry’s security appeal is starting on April 8th and will be over two days.

Same day as Megs podcast launch.

Dont they coordinate their diaries? I know Harry probably won’t be at court, but still.

I wonder if he even realises he is the laughing stock of the world. Tropes about being henpecked etc are obviously somewhat sexist but the extent to which Harry has completely let his wife take over his entire life is off the scale. To the point he no longer has any autonomy or ability to function in any way without her. I suppose pity is the main emotion he generates even more than being a figure of fun. Utterly humiliating. He must feel it when he dares to think about how his life has panned out.

I read "difficult" in this case as someone that won't bend to another's demands, that won't put their needs and wants before what is right for the company/charity, won't break the law or won't worship those that demand to be worshipped. If that is the case then i am delighted Dr Chandauka is "difficult"

Yes, ERThree. Sophie Chandauka was asked yesterday why she thought there had been conflict with the Trustees, and she explained that some of them had been in role for coming up to 19 years (which was an issue in and of itself) and change was challenging, and that turkeys do not vote for Christmases. Which is an attitude I also recognised.

She is like the seagull in finding Nemo
'MINE MINE MINE'
she just wants everything, she cant keep her grubby little mitts to herself. Just snorted at the memory of her caught red handed sneakily rifling through Harrys car boot at a polo match, she backed off guilty faced when challenged by security.

Harry was apparently disappointed that Elton had sold the serialisation of his memoir book to the Daily Mail and confronted him about it while the couples were holidaying together. The friendship/relationship hasn’t been the same since.

I've read a few articles suggesting that the reason for the fallout is that Meghan and Harry were recorded saying nasty things about Elton whilst using his private jet. They didn't realise that the plane had recording equipment and were caught out.

Yes. Just imagine the scenario: Dr Sophie C, as Chair, was about to present the trophy to Harry. But Harry had brought the totally irrelevant Meghan, who not only hijacked the trophy presentation but then bossed Dr C around on the podium. Unbe-bloody-lievable.

Now on Celebitchy (sorry - have to look under that stone sometimes) they're in contortionist mode, desperately trying to twist the facts to fit their narrative of poor bullied Meghan and victim Harry. Their take on the scandal is that it's basically all a Palace plot, with KC and PW pulling the strings to destroy Harry's pet charity out of seething jealousy.

As for Dr C, they figure that she must have tried to seduce Harry (oh God...), been rejected (because the noble white prince loves only the gentle, saintly Meghan) and then decided to attack Harry as a woman scorned.

They are spitting sulphurous venom at the moment and have worked themselves up to producing a consoling version of the Sentabale scandal which soothes and reinforces their cultish worship of H and M.

Now on Celebitchy (sorry - have to look under that stone sometimes) they're in contortionist mode, desperately trying to twist the facts to fit their narrative of poor bullied Meghan and victim Harry. Their take on the scandal is that it's basically all a Palace plot, with KC and PW pulling the strings to destroy Harry's pet charity out of seething jealousy.
As for Dr C, they figure that she must have tried to seduce Harry (oh God...), been rejected (because the noble white prince loves only the gentle, saintly Meghan) and then decided to attack Harry as a woman scorned.

So in this scenario, when did William and Charles latch onto Sophie Chandauka as their agent of destruction? When she was a Sentabale Board member from 2008 - 2013? Impressive long game, if so!

Or did they manoeuvre behind the scenes to get Sophie appointed again in 2023 and then the scorning happened? Or was she scorned first and then went to William and Harry and said “Get me onto Sentabale, and I can help you”?

So many questions….