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Prince Harry is being sued for defamation by the Sentebale charity he co-founded, according to High Court records. Online court filings show that the Duke of Sussex is a defendant in a libel or slander claim alongside Mark Dyer, a former trustee.

Sentebale launched a defamation action against Prince Harry over what the charity said was a "co-ordinated adverse media campaign" which caused "operational disruption and reputational harm", its board of trustees said.

No documents are currently available in the claim originally filed on March 24.

In a statement, its board of trustees and executive director said: "Sentebale has commenced legal proceedings in the High Court of England and Wales.

"The charity seeks the court's intervention, protection and restitution following a co-ordinated adverse media campaign conducted since March 25, 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."

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 the chairwoman of the board of trustees, 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 charity works in Botswana and Lesotho, supporting the health and wellbeing of young people, especially those with HIV and Aids.

Sophie Chandauka previously took several shots at Harry on Sky News, in which she claimed the prince's Netflix deal interfered with a scheduled fundraiser and that an incident with his wife, Meghan Markle, became a source of friction.

The Duke of Sussex cited a breakdown in relations between board members and Chandauka when he resigned in March 2025 as a patron of the charity he co-founded nearly 20 years earlier in memory of his late mother, Princess Diana.

Harry and co-founder Prince Seeiso of Lesotho said in a joint statement that they quit "with heavy hearts" as patrons in support of the trustees in their dispute with Chandauka.

"It is devastating that the relationship between the charity's trustees and the chair of the board broke down beyond repair, creating an untenable situation," the princes said. "In turn, she sued the charity to remain in this voluntary position, further underscoring the broken relationship."

Chandauka said she reported Sentebale's trustees to the Charity Commission in the UK and filed papers in a British court to prevent her removal.

She alleged there was misconduct at the charity without naming anyone or offering any details in a statement.

It said she had tried to blow the whistle on "abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny and misogynoir," the latter word referring to a combination of racism and misogyny directed toward Black women.

Chandauka told Sky that Harry's resignation had caught her blindsided and was "an example of harassment and bullying at scale."

She said he also had interfered with her whistleblower complaint.