The Duke of Sussex is being sued for defamation by Sentebale, the African charity he co-founded, in the latest development of a bitter public dispute. The charity has filed papers at London’s High Court naming Prince Harry and former trustee Mark Dyer as defendants.
The legal action follows a war of words between Harry and Sentebale’s chair, Dr Sophie Chandauka, after he resigned as patron in March 2025. The charity alleges a coordinated adverse media campaign since that date has caused operational disruption and reputational harm.
Sentebale stated that the proceedings were brought against Harry and Dyer, whom it identified as the architects of the campaign, which it said triggered cyberbullying and forced the diversion of resources. The charity emphasised that no charitable funds were used for the legal costs, which are covered by external funding.
A spokesperson for Harry and Dyer categorically rejected the claims as offensive and damaging, calling it extraordinary that charitable funds were being used to pursue legal action against those who built the organisation. The Charity Commission had previously criticised Harry for allowing the row to play out publicly, while clearing him of racism.
The dispute originated from a new US fundraising strategy and led to trustees quitting after clashes with Chandauka, who described the conflict as involving issues of poor governance, abuse of power, and misogynoir. The commission found that failure to resolve disagreements internally had severely impacted the charity’s reputation.
