Prince Harry is facing a defamation lawsuit from Sentebale, the African charity he co-founded nearly two decades ago in honor of his late mother, Princess Diana, marking a dramatic escalation in a long-running internal dispute.
Court records show that Sentebale, which supports children and young people living with HIV in Botswana and Lesotho, filed the case last month at London’s High Court. The lawsuit also names Mark Dyer, a close friend of the Duke of Sussex and a trustee of the organization. The claims are understood to involve alleged libel or slander, though detailed filings have not yet been made public.
The legal action follows a breakdown in relations that began in 2023, reportedly triggered by disagreements over a new fundraising strategy. Tensions within the charity’s leadership continued to grow, culminating in Prince Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho stepping down as patrons in March 2025.
At the time, both founders cited an irreparable rift between the board of trustees and its chair, Sophie Chandauka. The situation soon became increasingly contentious, with Chandauka accusing Harry of orchestrating a campaign of bullying and harassment aimed at forcing her out of her role.
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The dispute prompted an investigation by the UK Charity Commission, which concluded in August 2025. While the regulator found no evidence of widespread bullying or misogyny within Sentebale, it criticized both parties for allowing the conflict to play out publicly, warning that the fallout risked damaging the charity’s reputation and undermining its mission.
“Sentebale’s problems played out in the public eye, enabling a damaging dispute to harm the charity’s reputation, risk overshadowing its many achievements, and jeopardizing the charity’s ability to deliver for the very beneficiaries it was created to serve,” said David Holdsworth, CEO of the commission, in a statement at the time.
Reactions to the findings were divided. A spokesperson for Prince Harry criticized the commission’s report, while Chandauka welcomed its conclusions.
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The lawsuit now raises fresh questions about the future of Sentebale and the legacy of one of Prince Harry’s most personal philanthropic efforts. Once widely seen as a symbol of his commitment to continuing Princess Diana’s humanitarian work, the charity is now at the center of a high-profile legal battle that could further strain its public image.
Legal proceedings are expected to shed more light on the specific statements at the heart of the defamation claim, as well as the extent to which the internal dispute may have contributed to the organization’s current challenges.
