Prince Harry, Duke Of Sussex sued for defamation by Sentebale
prince harry, duke of sussex is facing a defamation claim from Sentebale, the charity he co-founded, after a dispute that has now moved into court. The filing names him and former trustee Mark Dyer in a claim listed on 24 March in London’s High Court. Sentebale says the case follows an alleged adverse media campaign that it believes caused disruption and reputational harm.
Claim filed as dispute spills into court
Sentebale works with young people in southern Africa, including those in Botswana and Lesotho, and it says the court action seeks intervention, protection, and restitution for what it describes as coordinated media attacks. The charity says those attacks undermined its leadership, its strategic partners, and its ability to focus resources on its mission.
The court filing shows prince harry, duke of sussex as a defendant alongside Mark Dyer in a claim listed as defamation, libel and slander. Representatives for Prince Harry and Dyer have not responded.
Sentebale says the proceedings were brought after an adverse media campaign that it says began on 25 March 2025 and triggered operational disruption and reputational harm. The charity also says no charitable funds were used to pay the costs, which it says are covered entirely by external funding.
What Sentebale and regulators have said
from the charity’s trustees and executive director, Sentebale said the case is intended to stop damage it says has spread through false narratives, cyberbullying, and pressure on staff and partners. The charity says it was forced to divert leadership time and resources into managing what it called a reputational crisis not of its making.
Charity Commission chief executive David Holdsworth said Sentebale’s problems “played out in the public eye, ” warning that the dispute risked overshadowing the charity’s achievements and jeopardising its ability to serve beneficiaries. The regulator later criticised the way the dispute was handled publicly and said there was blame on all sides.
How the split unfolded
Prince Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho left Sentebale in March 2025, along with a group of trustees, after an acrimonious dispute with the charity’s chair, Sophie Chandauka. Both sides had traded claims about poor behaviour, and the Charity Commission opened an investigation.
The regulator later said there had been weak governance and that the dispute should have been resolved internally. It also said the public fallout harmed the charity’s reputation and risked undermining trust more broadly.
What happens next
For now, the case sits at the center of a widening fight over governance, reputational damage, and responsibility inside a charity that prince harry, duke of sussex helped create in 2006. With no public response from his representatives in the record provided, the next developments are likely to come from the court process and any further statements from Sentebale or the other parties involved.
