The Duke of Sussex has been left emotionally devastated after a bitter boardroom battle with his former charity, Sentebale, was made public, according to a source

Prince Harry is reportedly upset with the head of his former charity for invoking his late mother’s memory, a source claims, as tensions escalate following a contentious boardroom showdown.

The Duke of Sussex has been emotionally impacted by the turmoil at Sentebale charity, which led to his departure earlier this year.

A source described the conflict, which resulted in Harry stepping down as patron after trustees resigned in protest against board chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka, as a “hostile takeover”. This follows reports that Harry acknowledged his ongoing connection to the Royal Family and had a change of perspective.

On Tuesday, the Charity Commission issued a report on the matter, criticizing all parties for airing their grievances publicly through interviews and statements.

Following the release of the report, Dr Chandauka pledged to stay true to the original purpose of Sentebale, which supports young people affected by HIV/AIDS in southern Africa, honoring the legacy of Diana, Princess of Wales, reports the Mirror.

However, a source close to Harry told The Telegraph: “For Sophie Chandauka to have invoked Princess Diana’s memory in her own defence was in the poorest possible taste. She’s got what she wants, which is control of the charity, but unfortunately, the people who suffer most out of all of this… are the children of Lesotho and Botswana.

“The most devastating thing for Prince Harry in all of this is that his life’s work and all the money he was able to pump into Lesotho and Botswana through his work has gone down in flames.”

This statement follows Sentebale’s implication that previous allegations made by Dr Chandauka of bullying, harassment, and misogyny at the charity – which the commission found no evidence of – might still be pursued against individuals via “avenues more appropriate”.

A source close to Harry shared: “This has been emotionally absolutely devastating for Prince Harry and (Sentebale co-founder) Prince Seeiso (of Lesotho). What’s been perpetrated over the last few months is nothing short of a hostile takeover.”

Prince Seeiso also resigned as patron of the charity, which operates in Botswana and Lesotho to support the health and wellbeing of young people, particularly those affected by HIV and AIDS.

The source continued: “You have to remember Prince Seeiso and Prince Harry started this charity nearly two decades ago to honour the work and continue the legacy of their mothers, Queen Mamohato and Princess Diana, and the work that they had done in southern Africa to support those living with HIV and Aids.

“In the 19 years that they have worked with this charity, and a lot of the former board of trustee members, they have raised tens of millions of pounds and distributed tens of millions of pounds.”

The Charity Commission condemned all parties involved in the dispute for permitting it to unfold in the public eye and outlined how every trustee played a role in a “missed opportunity” to address the issues that sparked the severe disagreement, which threatened to damage public confidence in charitable organizations overall.

The regulator, which lacks authority to probe individual bullying claims, discovered no evidence of widespread bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir within the organization, but recognized “the strong perception of ill treatment” experienced by some participants.

Following its regulatory compliance investigation, the commission issued a Regulatory Action Plan with Sentebale, noting the charity had met the requirements, ranging from establishing an internal dispute policy to enhancing the organization’s complaints and whistle-blowing procedures.

The departing trustees released a statement expressing they were “gravely concerned for the future of the charity” stating they felt “disheartened” by how the regulator had “chosen to ignore key concerns and irrefutable evidence raised with them regarding the leadership and oversight of Sentebale’s chair”.

Sentebale responded with a statement: “The Charity Commission is explicitly clear, including in its public guidance, that it is not the commission’s responsibility to adjudicate or mediate internal disputes. This would include individual allegations of bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir etc.

“As a result, the commission has not investigated any individual allegations and therefore has not made any findings in relation to individuals, including Prince Harry. The issues not investigated by the commission can and may be dealt with through avenues more appropriate than the commission.”