Sentebale’s shock decision to sue Prince Harry under fire | Royal | News

A charity watchdog has questioned why Sentebale, the African AIDS and HIV charity founded by Prince Harry in 2006, decided to sue the Duke of Sussex. The Charity Commission said it was trying to understand how the planned legal action would “advance the aims of charities”.

The organizer last year met with Prince Harry and the charity’s chairman, Dr. After being involved in an investigation into the dispute between Sophie Chandauka, she said: “Legal action can pose a significant risk to a charity’s beneficiaries, assets and reputation.” He added that trustees must ensure decisions are in the “best interests of the charity”.

Following news that Prince Harry and former Sentebale trustee Mark Dyer were being sued by the charity, a spokesman for the Duke said the pair “deny these offensive and damaging allegations”.

The Charity Commission has previously expressed concern about internal disputes in Sentebale becoming public. A compliance trial last summer found no evidence of systemic bullying or harassment.

But the commission’s chief executive, David Holdsworth, took a no-holds-barred approach to the problems so visibly exposed. He said: “Playing out in the public eye results in a damaging dispute damaging the charity’s reputation, risking overshadowing its many achievements and jeopardizing the charity’s ability to serve the beneficiaries it was created to serve.”

“Going forward, I urge all parties not to lose sight of those who rely on the charity’s services,” he added.

Sentebale launched defamation proceedings against Prince Harry over what the charity said was a “co-ordinated negative media campaign” that caused “operational disruption and loss of reputation”.

In a statement following news that the application had been made public, the charity’s trustees and chief executive said: “Sentebale has commenced legal proceedings in the High Court of England and Wales.

“The charity is seeking court intervention, protection and compensation following a coordinated negative media campaign since 25 March 2025 that has caused operational disruption and reputational damage to the charity, its leaders and strategic partners.

“Prosecutions have been brought against Prince Harry and Mark Dyer, who are identified by the evidence as the architects of a negative media campaign that had a significant viral impact and triggered a cyberbullying attack on the charity and its leaders.

“Sentebale experienced the negative media campaign as false narratives circulating in the media about the charity and its leadership, attempts to undermine its relationships with staff, current and potential partners, and the forced diversion of leadership time and resources into managing a reputational crisis that did not originate from the charity.”

A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex and Mark Dyer responded and said: “As co-founder and founding trustees of Sentebale, we categorically deny these offensive and damaging allegations.

“It is extraordinary that charity funds are being used to take legal action against those who founded and supported the organization for almost two decades, rather than being directed to the communities the charity was founded to serve.”

In an interview following Prince Harry’s departure from the board, Dr Chandauka spoke of those who like to “play the victim card”.

She described the dispute as “the story of a woman who dared to call out mismanagement, poor administrative management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogyny.” [discrimination against black women] – and the resulting cover-up”.