Prince Harry sued for defamation by charity he founded after ‘bullying’ row

Prince Harry is being sued for defamation by a charity he co-founded, court records show.

Sentebale , which was founded by the British roal in 2006 to help young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana, has lodged a defamation complaint.

They have accused Harry of a ‘coordinated adverse media campaign’ on their website.

Harry had resigned as patron in March 2025 after a falling out with chair of the board Dr Sophie Chadauka.

Former trustee Mark Dyer has also been named in the claim, according to the High court record made public today.

Sign up for all of the latest stories

Start your day informed with Metro's News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.

A spokesperson for both Harry and Mark said they ‘categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims’.

There are no suggestions as to what the lawsuit involves.

A statement from the charity today, read: ‘Sentebale has commenced legal proceedings in the High Court of England and Wales.

‘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.

‘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 Charity Commission previously investigated Sentebale, which Harry founded alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho, after a whistleblower contacted them.

What is the original argument between Prince Harry and Sentebale?

This led to a serious dispute between the chair of trustees, Dr Chandauka, other trustees, and Prince Harry, one of the charity’s patrons.

The trustees wanted Dr Chandauka to resign over the dispute, but she refused.

The Charity Commission criticised both sides for allowing the dispute to be played out in public, which ‘harmed the charity’s reputation’.

This jeopardised its ‘ability to deliver for the very beneficiaries it was created to serve’.

Got a story?

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device.