A new episode of Newsweek’s The Royal Report podcast has heard that the decision to keep an event connected with one of Prince Harry’s most controversial projects closed to the media in New York this month has been labeled “outrageous,” as the prince faced calls earlier in the year to sever his relationship with the organization.
Harry traveled to New York City this month to undertake engagements connected with several of his charities happening at the same time as the United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week and Climate Week.
One of these events was held at the Metropolitan Club in Manhattan by the conservation charity African Parks, which Harry became a board member of in 2023 after serving six years as president and which became the subject of human rights abuse allegations in 2024.
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In January, Britain’s Mail On Sunday newspaper published an exposé of the alleged abuse being made by African Parks rangers against the indigenous people of the Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo.
Guards employed by the charity have been accused of rape, torture and violence in the area, with calls coming after the publication of the report for Prince Harry to step down from his role with the organization.
The newspaper revealed that the charity Survival International contacted Harry in 2023 to alert him of the allegations. At its publication, a spokesperson for the prince told the outlet: “When the Duke became aware of these serious allegations, he immediately escalated them to the CEO and chairman of the board of African Parks, the appropriate people to handle next steps.”
African Parks issued a number of statements regarding the allegations and circumstances surrounding it. It announced in February that it had commissioned an independent investigation by a London-based law firm into the alleged abuse cases.
So far, the findings of this investigation have not been made public, nor has Prince Harry said anything officially about the allegations themselves, making the first formal event hosted by the charity to be attended by the royal one of increased public interest.
Chief royal correspondent Jack Royston told Royal Report listeners that the decision to keep the event behind closed doors and make no public statement addressing the controversy on the agenda made the engagement as a whole an uncomfortable one for Harry to be connected with.
“I think that is slightly outrageous, to be honest,” he said. “Because Prince Harry has faced calls to resign from the board of directors, and he has resisted those calls…So, if he is going to continue to represent this organization in spite of these profoundly serious allegations, and he’s going to continue advocating for African Parks, it does feel slightly cowardly to do it behind closed doors and away from public accountability. I’ve not seen or heard any particular justification for why it’s remaining private.”
Royston noted that there is a lack of transparency and accountability surrounding the controversy that should be addressed.
“I would rather see him address this scandal and give a justification for why he believes African Parks is still a project to support, to believe in, to back,” he said.
“He obviously must have some kind of reason for doing that. I don’t think, personally, I have had a particularly clear expression of exactly why he thinks that everything’s fine now, but does he think that the organization has undergone transformative change and is doing things differently now? Or does he simply think the allegations were never serious enough that he was obliged to step down? Like, what is his reason for continuing to promote them?”
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The apparent reluctance to address the controversy on the part of the prince comes in contrast to the social justice advocacy he has championed since his split from the monarchy with wife Meghan Markle, Royston suggested.
“These are, I think, serious enough allegations that to just ignore them completely doesn’t really do justice to the people who say they’ve been victims of African Parks,” he said.
“Obviously, Harry and Meghan have set themselves up over many years as being there for victims or there for marginalized communities…you can’t really set yourself up as being the kind of poster boys and girls for progressive politics and then just completely ignore what is a very much a social justice issue.”
Newsweek understands that it is Metropolitan Club policy that events are closed to media.
Regarding the investigation into the alleged abuses from African Parks rangers in the Republic of Congo, a spokesperson for African Parks told Newsweek, “The investigation is still ongoing and therefore it would be inappropriate to comment on an ongoing investigation. We will not be making further comment until it has been concluded.”
After the African Parks event in New York on September 23, Harry’s official website published a summary of what had been covered during the panel discussion he took part in.
“As part of New York Climate Week, Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex participated in an exclusive event hosted by African Parks that showcased the transformative work the organization is undertaking across the continent, emphasizing their innovative ‘conservation at scale’ initiatives,” it said.
During the panel discussion chaired by Katie Couric, it added that the prince “shared a personal and powerful account” of his participation in a 2016 elephant conservation operation in Malawi.
“The Duke connected African Parks’ mission to his broader philanthropic vision, highlighting how their strategic approach aligns with his goals for sustainable change,” it said. “He emphasized the importance of collaboration and investment in conservation efforts, noting that protecting Africa’s natural resources is essential for both the environment and the livelihoods of local communities.
“The event served not only as a celebration of African Parks’ impactful work across 22 protected areas in 12 countries but also as a rallying call to join this vital mission. The Duke’s participation underscored the urgency of the conservation challenges facing the continent and the need for collective action.”
James Crawford-Smith is Newsweek‘s royal reporter, based in London. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter) at @jrcrawfordsmith and read his stories on Newsweek‘s The Royals Facebook page.
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