Prince Harry steps down from African wildlife charity board

Prince Harry has relinquished his position on the board of directors at African Parks, concluding a decade-long tenure with the conservation organization. A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex confirmed the departure. African Parks oversees approximately twenty protected areas across twelve nations, operating in collaboration with authorities from Chad to Zimbabwe.

Last year, the organization acknowledged that rangers had engaged in human rights abuses against indigenous people in Congo-Brazzaville, with allegations including beatings, rapes, and torture. Survival International, an indigenous rights group, had previously urged the prince to resign four months ago. Despite this controversy, Harry maintained his ties until now.

His spokesman stated that the Duke is proud of his time with African Parks and supports strengthening its board. The organization announced a broader governance refresh, with new members including a Kenyan Supreme Court justice and the president of AGRA, set to take effect on September 30. Board chair Vas Narasimhan expressed gratitude to all board members and specifically to Harry for a decade of committed service.

The charity credited him with raising global awareness of the need for biodiversity protection and promoting African conservation philanthropy. During his time, Harry participated in significant projects, including the first phase of the 500 Elephants project, which relocated elephants from Malawi to safer habitats. This leadership change coincides with a major personal transition for the Sussex family, who are relocating from California back to the UK to return to their home in September for the children's first day of school.

The couple stepped back from royal duties in 2020 and moved to North America later that year. Current security provisions for the family upon their return remain unclear, as they lost a legal challenge regarding state-funded security entitlements while in the UK. Professionally, new ventures are also on the horizon for the Duchess of Sussex, who has discussed returning to acting for a role in the Netflix series The Gentlemen.