Prince Harry Sued by Charity He Co-Founded to Honor Princess Diana
Prince Harry Sued by Charity He Co-Founded to Honor Princess Diana
Laura Rizzo ChaganiSat, April 11, 2026 at 10:03 PM UTC
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Prince Harry is being sued for defamation by Sentebale, the charity he co-founded in honor of his mother, Princess Diana.
Sentebale’s Board of Trustees and Executive Director confirmed they had "commenced legal proceedings" against Prince Harry, 41, and a former trustee of the charity, Mark Dyer, in a statement on April 10.
"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," read the statement from Sentebale. "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."
Court records showed the case was filed in the London High Court on March 24, Reuters reported. The charge is listed as "defamation - libel and slander."
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A spokesperson for the Duke of Sussex said he and Dyer deny any wrongdoing and "categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims."
"It is extraordinary that charitable funds are now being used to pursue legal action against the very people who built and supported the organisation for nearly two decades, rather than being directed to the communities the charity was created to serve," the spokesperson said in a statement, per Reuters.
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Harry, the youngest son of King Charles, founded Sentebale in 2006, nine years after Diana was killed in a car crash in Paris at age 36, with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. The organization’s name means "forget-me-not" in the local language of Lesotho in Southern Africa and helps young people with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana. Diana famously used her platform to spread awareness and stop misinformation about the disease.
JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - OCTOBER 03: Board Chair Dr. Sophie Chandauka MBE, Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and a guest attend a Sentebale reception and panel discussion at The Saxon Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. The event was supported by Baker McKenzie. The purpose was to convene global and local corporations and business leaders to discuss accelerating sustainable solutions for prosperity for young people in the region, including closing the digital divide on October 03, 2024 in Johannesburg, South Africa. (Photo by Brian Otieno/Getty Images for Sentebale)Brian Otieno/Getty Images for Sentebale
Harry served as a patron within the organization until he resigned in March 2025, along with Prince Seeiso and several trustees, after a public dispute with Sentebale’s chair of the board, Sophie Chandauka. The rift centered around disagreements about fundraising strategies.
At the time of their relationship fizzling, Chandauka reported the Duke of Sussex and the trustees to Britain's charity regulator over alleged bullying and harassment. Harry called the situation "heartbreaking" at the time, claiming "blatant lies hurt those who have invested decades" in supporting the children in Southern Africa.
The U.K. Charity Commission reported in August 2025 that it had found no evidence of bullying or “overreach,” per the Charity Commission’s website, but noted “all the charity’s then trustees contributed” to the dispute due to a lack of defined roles.
In response to the report, Chandauka said, “I appreciate the Charity Commission for its conclusions, which confirm the governance concerns I raised privately in February 2025. The experience was intense, and it became a test of our strategic clarity and operational resilience."
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Prince Harry released his own statement at the time, acknowledging there were “no findings of wrongdoing” and “no evidence of widespread bullying, harassment, or misogyny,” but he claimed there were shortcomings in the investigation.
"Despite all that, their report falls troublingly short in many regards, primarily the fact that the consequences of the current Chair’s actions will not be borne by her, but by the children who rely on Sentebale’s support," a spokesperson for the British royal said at the time. "Sentebale has been a deeply personal and transformative mission for Prince Harry, established to serve some of the most vulnerable children in Lesotho and Botswana. For 19 years, its dedicated staff and steadfast supporters have provided vital care to over 100,000 young people across southern Africa, including young people living with HIV/AIDS and those facing mental health challenges. As custodians of this once brilliant charity, Prince Seeiso, Prince Harry and the former Board of Trustees helped grow Sentebale from the seed of an idea to — like its namesake — a flowering force for good.”
This story was originally published by Parade on Apr 11, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add Parade as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
