Even he admits the decision came as a “shock.” Prince Harry has announced he quit Sentebale, the charity he cofounded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006.

“With heavy hearts, we have resigned from our roles as patrons of the organization until further notice,” they wrote in a joint statement released on March 26, noting that they were doing so in solidarity with the board of trustees, who stepped down after their relationship with their chairwoman, Dr. Sophie Chandauka, “broke down beyond repair.”

While Harry’s statement notes that “what’s transpired is unthinkable,” Chandauka alleged in a statement that the strife began when she “dared to blow the whistle about issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir — and the cover-up that ensued” with the U.K. Charity Commission. (A spokesperson for the commission told The Independent that they were “assessing the issues.”)

The situation is “heartbreaking” for Harry, 40, a source exclusively tells In Touch, noting that he named the charity after the Sesotho word for “forget-me-not” because it was his late mother Princess Diana’s favorite flower. “It’s a huge setback, but he says he’ll continue to do charity work for Africa, a country that’s very close to his heart.”