Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, has ended his formal association with two prominent Africa-focused organisations within 17 months, marking a significant shift in the British royal’s nearly two-decade philanthropic ties to the continent.
- Prince Harry has ended his formal association with two major Africa-focused organisations within 17 months.
- He recently stepped down from the board of African Parks amid a broader governance reshuffle, after serving as its president and board member.
- Previously, he resigned as patron of Sentebale, a charity he co-founded, following a public dispute involving its trustees and chair.
- African Parks has faced human rights abuse allegations and expulsion from Chad, while Sentebale has faced internal governance issues.
The latest departure came this week when Harry stepped down from the board of African Parks, a conservation organisation that manages protected areas across 13 African countries.
African Parks described the move as part of a broader “governance refresh” of its board and thanked Harry for his decade-long contribution to the organisation. His spokesperson said he remains committed to supporting its conservation work.
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The departure comes 17 months after Harry stepped down from Sentebale, the charity he co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006.
African Parks manages 24 protected areas in 13 countries, covering more than 20 million hectares. Its current list of countries is Angola, Benin, Central African Republic, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, Malawi, Mozambique, Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Rwanda, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
From children’s welfare to wildlife conservation
Harry’s relationship with Africa dates back to his first visits to Lesotho in the late 1990s. His experiences there inspired the creation of Sentebale, which supports vulnerable children and young people in Lesotho and other parts of southern Africa, particularly those affected by HIV/AIDS.
In March 2025, Harry and Prince Seeiso resigned as patrons of Sentebale following a bitter dispute between the charity’s trustees and its chair, Sophie Chandauka.
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The dispute became increasingly public, with Chandauka accusing Harry and others of bullying, harassment and misogyny. Harry rejected the allegations.
The UK’s Charity Commission later found no evidence of widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, although it criticised the charity’s governance and the decision to allow the dispute to become public.
Harry’s latest departure is unrelated on the face of it.
He became involved with African Parks in 2016, serving as its president for six years before joining its board in 2023. The organisation partners with governments to manage national parks and protected areas across the continent.
African Parks is currently facing scrutiny over alleged human-rights abuses by rangers against members of the Indigenous Baka community at Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo.
An independent investigation examined allegations including beatings, torture and sexual violence. African Parks acknowledged that human-rights abuses had occurred and said it was taking steps to address failures identified by the investigation.
Harry’s departure also comes after African Parks faced growing scrutiny over its operations in Africa.
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In October 2025, Chad expelled the organisation from the country, accusing it of failing to protect endangered species, allowing poaching to increase and neglecting agreed investments in infrastructure and anti-poaching efforts.
The Chadian government also accused the organisation of showing repeated disrespect toward its authorities. At the time, Harry was already a member of African Parks’ governing board but did not publicly comment on the dispute.
However, there is no evidence that Harry’s departure was caused by those allegations. African Parks has presented his exit as part of its board restructuring, with new members expected to take up positions from September 30.
