Prince Harry dismisses defamation allegations and brands them offensive in Sentebale dispute
The Duke of Sussex has dismissed as “offensive and damaging” a defamation claim filed against him by the very charity he helped to establish, in an extraordinary legal clash between founder and organisation.
Sentebale, which Prince Harry co-founded in 2006, has lodged a High Court action alleging he and former trustee Mark Dyer orchestrated an “adverse media campaign” that has inflicted “operational disruption and reputational harm” on the charity.
The charity’s claim
Online court filings show the Duke and Mr Dyer are named as defendants in a libel or slander claim. In a statement published on its website, Sentebale’s board of trustees and executive director stated they are seeking the court’s “intervention, protection, and restitution”.
The charity claims evidence identifies Harry and Dyer as the “architects” of a co-ordinated campaign that began on March 25, 2025. It alleges this has involved “false narratives” being circulated about the charity and its leadership, attempts to undermine its relationships with staff and partners, and a forced diversion of leadership time and resources into managing a reputational crisis.
The board stated the campaign has had a “significant viral impact” and triggered an “onslaught of cyber-bullying” directed at the charity. It asserted that its work supporting young people in Lesotho and Botswana is “increasingly critical” and that resources should not continue to be used to address damage it alleges was caused by the Duke and his associate.
Harry’s categorical rejection
Responding to the allegations, a spokesperson for Prince Harry and Mark Dyer issued a firm rebuttal on Friday evening. “As Sentebale’s co-founder and a founding trustee, they categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims,” the statement said.
The spokesperson added a pointed criticism of the legal action itself, stating: “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.”
Sentebale’s stance and funding
Sentebale has directly countered the suggestion that donor money is footing the legal bill. Its statement emphasised that “the costs of doing so are met entirely by external funding and no charitable funds have been used.” The charity said it would not comment further while proceedings are ongoing.
The board expressed trust that supporters would understand why the “difficult” action was necessary, and affirmed that its focus remains on the children and young people of Lesotho and Botswana.
Background of a public dispute
The legal action is the latest development in a rift that became public earlier last year. In March 2025, Prince Harry and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, stepped down as patrons of Sentebale. This followed a dispute with the board of trustees’ chairwoman, Dr Sophie Chandauka, who was appointed in 2023. A group of trustees also resigned in support of the founders, citing an “untenable situation” and a breakdown in the relationship with Dr Chandauka.
Dr Chandauka has previously accused Prince Harry of orchestrating a campaign of bullying and harassment. She alleged he sought to use the charity as a “PR machine” for his wife, Meghan, and claimed filming for a Netflix program interfered with a fundraiser, while an incident involving Meghan at a polo match also became a source of friction.
The Charity Commission for England and Wales investigated the very public dispute. In a report published in August 2025, the regulator criticised all sides for allowing the fallout to “play out publicly” through interviews and statements, which it said had “severely impacted the charity’s reputation” and risked undermining public trust in charities generally.
The Commission found no evidence of widespread or systemic bullying, harassment, misogyny, or misogynoir at Sentebale, but acknowledged “the strong perception of ill treatment” felt by some involved. It described how all trustees contributed to a “missed opportunity” to resolve the issues privately and pointed to “mismanagement” and governance weaknesses within the charity. A source said at the time that Harry had been left emotionally devastated by the events after 19 years of involvement.
Sentebale, meaning “forget me not” in Sesotho, was established to support young people living with HIV and AIDS in southern Africa. The case places Prince Harry, who has been a claimant in multiple privacy lawsuits against tabloid publishers in recent years, in the novel position of being a defendant in a defamation suit brought by an organisation born from his own philanthropic vision.
