PRINCE Harry and Meghan Markle’s Netflix deal proves the late Queen was right about a hybrid role, an expert has claimed.
Royal author Phil Dampier appeared on The Sun’s Royal Exclusive Show this week to discuss the fallout after the Duke of Sussex quit Sentebale.
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It recently emerged that several trustees had left the charity in a dispute with its chairwoman, Sophie Chandauka, having requested her resignation.
And during a prize-giving ceremony at a Sentebale fundraising polo match in Miami last April, the Duchess of Sussex appeared to choreograph who stood next to Harry.
In an awkward moment Ms Chandauka moved from beside the duke to Meghan’s side ducking under the trophy.
Host Matt Wilkinson discussed with Mr Dampier how Harry reportedly invited Netflix to the event.
He said: “Harry announced that he was going to bring Netflix to this charity fundraiser.
“And it caused, I think, lots of disturbances, I think Dr Sophie said. And then Meghan turned up.
“And then we have these text messages that Harry allegedly sent to Dr Sophie.
“Phil, I want to take your view on this. We’re five years since Megxit.
“The Queen said you can’t have a hybrid situation. You can’t be half in, half out.
“Is this incident here that Dr Sophie has highlighted, does this justify the Queen’s decision five years ago to just send them on their own?”
Phil replied: “Yeah, absolutely. The Queen saw it straight away.
“She saw the dangers of commercialising the royal family, combining a sort of hybrid model of doing royal jobs and cashing in with commercial stuff.
“And that’s exactly the sort of thing that she was trying to avoid. That’s exactly the thing that she told them not to do.
“And that’s what happened with this polo match. She thought, the doctor thought that it was just going to be presenting the trophy and it was all going to be part of the charity.
Timeline of events at Sentebale
2004: Prince Harry spends two months in Lesotho in a working visit during his gap year. Here he meets Aids orphans and vulnerable young people.
2006: Inspired by his visit two years prior, he setups up Sentebale with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, taking the name from the Sesotho language for the phrase “forget me not”.
2010: The first polo cup is held. Harry has regularly played in the annual tournament, helping to raise more than £11 million since the tournament’s creation.
2015: Harry attends the official opening of the charity’s flagship Mamohato Children’s Centre in Lesotho.
2020: Following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s decision to step back as senior royals, Harry made his first public speech to Sentebale.
2023: Sophie Chandauka is appointed to the role of chair after Johnny Hornby resigns, following his five years in the position.
2024: Harry visits Lesotho in October for the first time in six years to showcase Sentebale’s work.
2025: In March, princes Harry and Seeiso release a joint statement announcing their resignation amid a row between the trustees and Chandauka.
In response, Chandauka slams “weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, and misogynoir” at the charity.
“And all of a sudden he turned up with a Netflix crew and wanted to make it part of his programme.
“And that was part of the problem. So, yes, that is exactly what the Queen wanted to avoid.
“And we can see playing out there with Harry, cocking it up, if you like.”
Harry quit Britain in 2020 and jetted to California with his wife Meghan where they now live with their two children, Archie, five, and Lilibet, three.
The senior royals announced on Instagram their plan to “step back” from their duties and become financially independent.
The pair said they wanted to “carve out a progressive new role” while still supporting Queen Elizabeth.
But at a hastily convened summit at Sandringham in January 2020 the Queen’s decision was swift and final.
The wantaway couple were told there was no “half-in, half-out” role and that they could not have their cake and eat it as they were wished good luck in their new life.
Meanwhile the Charity Commission said it had opened a regulatory compliance case into Sentebale.
The commission said it had informed the charity on Wednesday that it had “opened a regulatory compliance case to examine concerns raised about the charity”.
This allows the watchdog to “gather evidence and assess the compliance of the charity and trustees past and present with their legal duties” and responsibilities under charity law.
It is not the same as a statutory inquiry.
The commission, which said the decision to open a case came after assessing initial concerns raised, said it is in “direct contact with parties who have raised concerns”.
Regulatory compliance cases can lead to a range of outcomes including an official warning being given to a charity or a statutory inquiry being opened, which can give the commission additional powers of investigation.
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