Prince Harry sued by Sentebale charity in High Court defamation claim

Online court filings show that Harry is a defendant in a libel or slander claim alongside Mark Dyer by Sentebale, which he founded in 2006.

The charity has launched a defamation action against the Duke of Sussex over what the charity said was a “co-ordinated adverse media campaign” which caused “operational disruption and reputational harm”, its board of trustees said.

A spokesman for Harry and Dyer said the pair "categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims."

The prince started the charity, alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, to help young people with HIV ‌and AIDS in the southern African country.

Founders Harry and Prince Seeiso previously stepped down as the charity’s patrons in support of a group of trustees, who resigned after a dispute with its chairwoman, Dr Sophie Chandauka.

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In a statement, the charity's board of trustees and executive director said: “Sentebale has commenced legal proceedings in the High Court of England and Wales.

“The charity seeks the court’s intervention, protection and restitution following a co-ordinated adverse media campaign conducted since March 25 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 prince and Mr Dyer, who was ‌also a trustee of the charity, previously said they had lost "trust and confidence" in Dr Chandauka.

Dr Chandauka would later accuse Harry of "harassment and bullying at scale".

The Charity Commission subsequently published a report into the episode, criticising all sides for making the fallout public with interviews and statements.

The commission 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 said in August 2025 that Harry had been left emotionally devastated by the events, after 19 years of working with the charity.

The charity works in Botswana and Lesotho, supporting the health and wellbeing of young people, especially those with HIV and Aids.