In the latest bruising to the British Royal family, Prince Harry has been named in a defamation lawsuit in the UK by a charity that the second son of King Charles III and the late Diana, Princess of Wales, co-founded 20 years ago.

Prince Harry exited Sentebale, which was created in 2006 to address the spread of HIV/AIDS in the African nations of Lesotho and Botswana, in March 2025 over disputes with the charity’s board chair Dr Sophie Chandauka.

Then, as Chandauka sued Sentebale trustees to prevent her own firing, things got really messy as allegations of “issues of poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir” became public. With Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho out, further claims of a cover-up emerged.

Today, Sentebale made public the action it filed against Prince Harry and ex-Sentebale trustee Mark Dyer in London’s High Court on March 23.

“Sentebale has commenced legal proceedings in the High Court of England and Wales,” the charity’s trustees and executive director said in a statement Friday.

“The charity seeks the court’s intervention, protection, and restitution following a coordinated 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 remarks on the organization’s site continued.

Naming Royal names, Sentebale added: “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.” (Read the full statement below.)

Reps for Prince Harry, who is no stranger to instigating court moves himself or showing up in the High Court, were equally blunt in their response to the blunt accusations.

“As Sentebale’s co-founder and a founding trustee, they categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims,” a spokesperson for the Prince and co-defendant Dyer said late Friday. “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.”

Here is Sentebale’s statement:

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 coordinated 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.

Sentebale’s development sector funders have maintained 100% of their financial commitment throughout this period, and the charity has been deeply moved by the continued generosity of individual donors who have stood firm alongside them. The commitment of our partners and donors reflects a shared conviction that good governance is fundamental to the integrity of any charitable organisation, and their faith in the continued work of the charity. It is also a reflection of the resolve of the Board and the teams in Lesotho and Botswana who have remained resilient and focused on the work in the face of sustained pressure.

At a time when international aid is contracting and the needs of children across Southern Africa are growing, the work Sentebale delivers for 78,000 young lives is increasingly critical. 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.

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.

Issued by the Board of Trustees and Executive Director of Sentebale