A charity Prince Harry co-founded to support young people with HIV in southern Africa has sued him for defamation, months after he stepped down as a patron amid a public dispute over the organization’s leadership and direction.
Charity Chaos
Sentebale, established in 2006 by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, filed the lawsuit in London’s High Court last month, according to court records reviewed Friday. The organization said the case stems from what it described as a damaging media campaign that disrupted its operations and harmed its reputation.
Online court filings indicate Harry and Mark Dyer, a trustee of the charity, are being sued for either libel or slander. Additional court documents were not immediately available.
In a statement posted Friday on its website, Sentebale said it is seeking “the court’s intervention, protection, and restitution” following a “coordinated adverse media campaign” dating to March 25, 2025.
A spokesperson for Harry and Dyer said they “categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims.”
Sentebale, whose name means “forget-me-not” in the local language of Lesotho, focuses on helping young people affected by HIV in southern Africa.
Tensions within the organization became public in 2023 amid disagreements over a new fundraising strategy. In March 2025, Harry and Seeiso stepped down as patrons, citing an irreparable breakdown in relations between the board and its chair, Sophie Chandauka. They said they acted in solidarity with five trustees who resigned during the dispute.
At the time, the co-founders said they would raise their concerns with the Charity Commission, calling the situation “unthinkable” while emphasizing their responsibility to the charity’s beneficiaries.
Chandauka later accused Harry of leading a campaign of bullying and harassment aimed at forcing her out, and alleged he interfered with a whistleblower complaint she had filed. Speaking to Sky News in March, she described his resignation as “an example of harassment and bullying at scale.”
The Charity Commission for England and Wales investigated the dispute and criticized both sides for allowing it to unfold publicly, saying it damaged the organization’s reputation and risked undermining its work. The commission said it found no evidence of widespread bullying or misogyny at the charity.
Harry’s spokesperson criticized the commission’s findings, while Chandauka said she welcomed the report.
Requests for additional comment sent April 10 to Harry’s office were not immediately returned.
As of early 2026, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle have an estimated combined net worth of $60 million.
