Prince Harry 'dealt fresh blow' as baroness becomes latest to quit charity after 18 years

Prince Harry has been dealt a fresh blow after a long-serving baroness left her role with a charity, which was co-founded by the Duke back in 2006.

Baroness Lynda Chalker, a veteran Conservative MP for Wallasey who served under Margaret Thatcher, has left her position in the Duke of Sussex's Sentebale charity after 18 years.

Although she remains "unwavering" in her commitment to both the charity and the Duke, Richard Eden, a royal commentator at the Daily Mail, yesterday wrote that it marks the "latest blow" for Sentebale.

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The organisation previously lost former trustee and chairman Johnny Hornby in 2023, after 11 years. In addition, the Mail on Sunday recently reported that Andrew Tucker, another senior Sentebale figure, has left the charity after nearly 10 years.

A spokesman for Lady Chalker says: "Although she resigns from her formal role, her commitment to the charity and the Duke of Sussex remains unwavering."

Sentebale was launched by the Duke and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 in an effort to safeguard vulnerable children in the landlocked African nation, which lies in the south of the continent.

Prince Harry has spent the last decade raising awareness of child poverty and HIV/AIDS in Lesotho. The Duke initially visited the country while he was on a gap year in 2004.

The Royal Family's official website details how the charity is involved in not only healthcare, but also psychosocial support and education, as well as various programmes.

Harry embarked on a solo tour of Lesotho last month, where he is dubbed "the warrior", visiting the nation's prime minister, Sam Matekane, and meeting with young people around a bonfire.

Prince Seeiso, who referred to the Duke as his "brother", has a heartbreaking connection with Harry, as his father, King Moshoeshoe II, tragically died in a car crash just one year prior to Princess Diana's death in Paris.

Lesotho is known as the 'Kingdom in the Sky' and is mostly comprised of highlands, with many villages only accessible via foot, plane, or horseback, reports the BBC.

It is completely surrounded by South Africa and reportedly has one of the highest rates of HIV in the world, with a staggering one in five adults living with the condition.