Prince Harry has rejected “offensive and damaging claims” lodged in the High Court by the charity Sentebale, which he co-founded in memory of his mother, Princess Diana.
The Duke of Sussex is being sued for defamation by the charity over allegations he co-ordinated an “adverse media campaign” which caused “operational disruption and reputational harm”, its board of trustees has claimed.
Online court filings show that the British royal is a defendant in a libel or slander claim alongside Mark Dyer, a former trustee of the charity, who has also denied the allegations.
Sentebale was launched by Prince Harry in 2006 to support young people with HIV and Aids in Lesotho and Botswana.
In a statement uploaded to Sentebale’s website on Friday evening, the board of trustees and executive director said the charity is seeking the court’s “protection”.
It said: “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.”
A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex and Mark Dyer said they “categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims”.
The board of trustees said in the statement that those at the charity have been “deeply moved” by the generosity of donors who have “stood firm alongside them”.
It said the work Sentebale delivers is “increasingly critical”, adding: “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.”
It added: “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.”
Founders Harry and Prince Seeiso previously stepped down as the charity’s patrons in support of a group of trustees, who resigned after a dispute with board of trustees chair Dr Sophie Chandauka.
The Charity Commission subsequently published a report into the episode, criticising all sides for making the fallout public with interviews and statements.
The commission criticised all parties in the dispute for allowing it to play out publicly and described how all trustees contributed to a “missed opportunity” to resolve the issues that led to the serious disagreement, which risked undermining public trust in charities generally.
The regulator, which cannot investigate individual allegations of bullying, found no evidence of systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir at the charity, but acknowledged “the strong perception of ill treatment” felt by some involved.
A source said in August 2025 that Harry had been left emotionally devastated by the events, after 19 years of working with the charity.
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.independent.co.uk ’
