In a revealing new interview, Dr. Chandauka reflected on a 2024 charity event where Meghan's appearance alongside Serena Williams caused a stir and led to logistical challenges on stage.
According to Dr. Chandauka, Meghan had initially confirmed she would not be attending the Royal Salute Paolo Challenge in Florida. However, she is said to have arrived unannounced with the tennis star, leading to last-minute disruptions.
During the event, Meghan allegedly made suggestions about the stage arrangement, twice requesting Dr. Chandauka to move away from Prince Harry's side. This led to an awkward reshuffling of attendees, with Dr. Chandauka having to reposition herself around the trophy.
Speaking to Sky News' Trevor Phillips, Dr. Chandauka noted that the unplanned appearance created coordination issues.
"We would have been really excited had we known ahead of time [Meghan was coming], but we didn't," she explained. "And so the choreography went badly on stage because we had too many people on stage."
The Duchess, 42, ordered people around the stage after handing Harry, 39, a trophy.
The event drew media scrutiny, with reports focusing on Meghan's presence and interactions on stage.
Dr. Chandauka also alleged that Harry's insistence on bringing a Netflix camera crew to a planned charity polo event in Miami ultimately led to its cancellation.
According to Chandauka, about a month before the event, Harry contacted the Sentebale team, expressing his desire to include footage from the event in his Netflix series.
"Prince Harry called the team and said, 'I'm doing a Netflix show, and I would love to bring a camera crew so that I can include some footage in this show," she recalled.
However, she argued that the decision was made without consulting key stakeholders.
"And so the team called me and told me, 'Oh, Prince Harry's made this request, so we're doing the thing. I said, you can't be doing the things without seeking consent from the property owners, the sponsors, all the guests. Nobody signed up to being on a Netflix show," Dr. Chandauka recalled.
She noted that negotiations with the venue quickly fell apart once the owners reclassified the event as a commercial endeavor.
"We come up with draft agreements and of course, the venue owner says this is now a commercial undertaking," she continued. "So here are my terms. We couldn't afford it. So now we lost the venue."
In a striking message to Harry, Dr. Chandauka reportedly asserted Sentebale's independence from him, stating: "The team is resolved that Sentebale will live on, with or without you."