Prince Harry accused of ‘co-ordinated adverse media campaign’ against Sentebale charity he co-founded in High Court libel lawsuit – as Duke rejects ‘offensive’ claims

Sentebale accused co-founder Prince Harry of launching a ‘coordinated negative media campaign’ that caused ‘operational disruption and loss of reputation’ after he filed a libel lawsuit against him.

The charity, which helps young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana, has filed a High Court claim for libel and slander against the Duke of Sussex and his friend and former royal equerry Mark Dyer.

In a message published by Sentebale’s Trustees and Chief Executive, the charity claimed it had been subjected to a ‘coordinated negative media campaign’ that had been running since 25 March last year.

Sentebale said this ’caused operational disruption and reputational damage to the charity, its leaders and strategic partners’ and also ‘produced a significant viral impact and triggered a cyberbullying attack on the charity and its leaders’.

The campaign allegedly involved the circulation of ‘false narratives’ through the media, sought to ‘weaken’ relationships with staff and partners and forced ‘leadership to divert time and resources to managing a reputational crisis that did not originate from the charity’.

Sentebale said it decided to take legal action to ensure the protection of its operations and partnerships, adding that ‘the cost of doing so was covered entirely by external funding and no charity was used’.

Harry responded to the allegations in a statement issued by a spokesman for himself and Mr Dyer. It said: ‘As the co-founder and founding trustees of Sentebale, we categorically deny these offensive and damaging allegations.’

Prince Harry founded Sentebale in 2006 in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana.

Harry with former Royal Equerry Mark Dyer during the Sentebale Concert at Kensington Palace in 2016

Harry dramatically quit the charity’s board last year following a bitter public row with chairman Sophie Chandauka, whose leadership he described as ‘untenable’.

Sentebale, which means ‘don’t forget me’ in South Africa’s Lesotho language, was co-founded by the prince in 2006. He has faced a funding crisis since his departure a year ago.

The dispute with Ms Chandauka began in 2024 when Sentebale’s board challenged her over a £400,000 bill for consultants they said had yielded little return.

He was asked to resign but instead complained to the Charity Commission, alleging bullying, misogyny and racism.

He accused the Duke of trying to ‘drive him out’ through ‘bullying’ and ‘harassment’, which the Duke denies.

An investigation found no evidence of bullying, but he said management was weak and criticized all parties for allowing an internal dispute to become public.

In March 2025, the trustees resigned en masse, blaming Ms Chandauka’s “almost dictatorial” leadership. Harry and his co-founder, Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, resigned as patrons, describing the situation as ‘untenable’.

The 41-year-old prince later described the breakdown in his relationship with Ms Chandauka as ‘devastating’ and criticized her leadership, saying the consequences would ‘be borne not by her but by the children who relied on Sentebale’s support’.

Public court records gave no details about the allegations in the lawsuit against Harry and Mr. Dyer, who is also a trustee of the charity.

The charity recently reduced staff in the UK and Botswana in a bid to save £1 million.

In August last year, four out of five employees at the organization’s London office were laid off, including its head of global finance and compliance.

Sources claim one in five staff in Botswana, including country manager Ketlogetswe Montshiwa, have been made redundant, with staff saying they feared a “significant cash flow issue”.

Published accounts show that by 2024, Sentebale had exhausted almost all of its reserves as the dispute deepened. Monthly income has fallen by a quarter and cash in the bank has fallen from £1.5 million to £207,000 by December 2024.