Court documents have shown that Prince Harry is being sued for defamation by the Sentebale charity he co-founded in honour of his late mother Princess Diana
Prince Harry’s long-running dispute with the charity he helped set up in honour of his late mother before quitting has taken a dramatic new turn.
It has emerged that the Duke of Sussex is being sued for defamation by Sentebale, which he co-founded in 2006 to help support young people living with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. Last year, Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho stepped down as its patrons in support of a group of trustees, who resigned following a bitter boardroom battle with charity chairwoman Sophie Chandauka.
Now, online High Court filings show that Harry is a defendant in a libel or slander claim alongside Mark Dyer, a former trustee. No documents are currently available in the claim originally filed on March 24. Harry and Mr Dyer later said they “categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims”.
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But Sentebale said in a statement it had launched the action against Harry following what it said was an “adverse media campaign” that had “caused operational disruption and reputational harm to the charity, its leadership, and its strategic partners”.
It claimed it had evidence that Harry and Mr Dyer were the ‘architect’ of the adverse media campaign, which has triggered an “onslaught of cyber-bullying” at the charity and it’s leadership. Representatives for Harry are yet to comment on the proceedings.
Sentebale, which means forget-me-not, was thrown into crisis last March, when Harry and Prince Seeiso appeared to suddenly step down as patrons.
It came after the charity’s trustees sought to introduce a new fundraising strategy, with the dispute arising between Ms Chandauka and some of the trustees and Harry.
A war of words followed the resignations with Harry and Seeiso issuing a joint statement in March 2025, describing their decision as “unthinkable”, adding the trustees “acted in the best interest of the charity in asking the chair to step down” while “in turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship”.
Chandauka hit back in a television interview, accusing the duke of being “involved” in a “cover-up” of an investigation about bullying, harassment and misogyny at the organisation and said the “toxicity” of his brand had impacted the charity, which she claimed had seen a drop in donors since Harry moved to the US.
Later, it was claimed Harry sent an ‘unpleasant text’ to Ms Chandauka after she failed to publicly quash rumours of a rift with his wife, Meghan.
The charity chair claimed that after an awkward moment between her and Meghan was captured on camera at a polo match to raise funds for Sentebale in Florida in 2024, she was asked to issue a statement by Harry’s team defending the duchess.
She said she refused the request saying, “We cannot become an extension of the Sussex machine”. It was then reported that Harry sent her a direct message asking her to “explain herself”, using “imperious” language and leaving the charity chair “taken aback”.
A probe by the Charity Commission followed after Ms Chanduaka reported the prince and the trustees to the regulator over alleged bullying and harassment.
Its report criticised all parties in the dispute for allowing it to play out publicly and described how all trustees contributed to a “missed opportunity” to resolve the issues that led to the serious disagreement, which risked undermining public trust in charities generally.
The regulator, which cannot investigate individual allegations of bullying, found no evidence of systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity, but acknowledged “the strong perception of ill treatment” felt by some involved.
A source at the time said that Harry had been left emotionally devastated by the events, after 19 years of working with the charity. A spokesperson for Harry at the time took aim at Chandauka saying: “The report falls troublingly short in many regards, primarily the fact that the consequences of the current Chair’s actions will not be borne by her, but by the children who rely on Sentebale’s support.”
Chandauka vowed to honour the founding mission of the charity Sentebale, and said: “The unexpected adverse media campaign that was launched by those who resigned on 24 March 2025 has caused incalculable damage and offers a glimpse of the unacceptable behaviours displayed in private. We are emerging not just grateful to have survived, but stronger: more focused, better governed, boldly ambitious and with our dignity intact.
“Despite the recent turbulence, we will always be inspired by the vision of our founders, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, who established Sentebale in memory of their precious mothers, Princess Diana and Queen ‘Mamohato. To all who believe in our mission: please walk with us as Sentebale recovers, renews, and rises to meet the hopes and expectations of the next generation.”
In a new statement tonight, Sentebale said: “The charity seeks the court’s intervention, protection, and restitution following a co-ordinated adverse media campaign conducted since 25 March 2025 that has caused operational disruption and reputational harm to the charity, its leadership, and its strategic partners.
“The proceedings have been brought against Prince Harry and Mark Dyer, identified through evidence as the architects of that adverse media campaign, which has had significant viral impact and triggered an onslaught of cyber-bullying directed at the charity and its leadership.
“Sentebale has experienced the adverse media campaign as false narratives circulated through the media about the charity and its leadership, attempts to undermine its relationships with staff, existing and prospective partners, and the forced diversion of leadership time and resources into managing a reputational crisis not of the charity’s making.”
The board of trustees said in the statement that those at the charity have been “deeply moved” by the generosity of donors who have “stood firm alongside them”.
It said the work Sentebale delivers is “increasingly critical”, adding: “The charity should not continue to use its resources to manage and address the damage this adverse media campaign has caused to its operations and partnerships.
“This must stop. The board and executive director have taken this legal action to secure that protection. “The costs of doing so are met entirely by external funding and no charitable funds have been used.”
It added: “The board and executive director trust that those who believe in Sentebale’s mission will understand why this legal action, whilst difficult, was necessary and important, and will continue to stand with us as we focus on the work ahead.
“Sentebale’s focus remains where it has always been: the children and young people of Lesotho and Botswana. “Sentebale does not intend to comment further on this matter while legal proceedings are ongoing.”
A spokesperson for The Duke of Sussex and Mark Dyer said: “As Sentebale’s co-founder and a founding trustee, they categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims. It is extraordinary that charitable funds are now being used to pursue legal action against the very people who built and supported the organisation for nearly two decades, rather than being directed to the communities the charity was created to serve.”
