Prince Harry’s former charity Sentebale pauses defamation action against him

The charity Prince Harry co-founded in memory of his late mother Diana has paused defamation proceedings against him amid fears the legal action could cripple it financially.

Sentebale brought a High Court claim against Prince Harry over what its trustees said was a “co-ordinated adverse media campaign” that had caused “operational disruption and reputational harm”.

The Telegraph UK reports that legal action has now been put on hold amid fears that a loss could see the charity forced to fold to cover legal bills.

Since launching the defamation claim against Prince Harry in April, Sentebale reported a 20 per cent drop in income, the publication reports.

Prince Harry is prepared to go to trial to clear his name and if he is successful, Sentebale could be liable for the costs of both sides plus a potential payout.

The Telegraph reports that the duke and Sentebale have agreed an extension of time for the filing of both the acknowledgement of service and the defence, meaning that for now, the particulars of claim cannot be made public.

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Sentebale was co-founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 following the duke’s gap year there in 2004.

Its name means “forget-me-not” and was inspired by Princess Diana’s favourite flower. Sentebale helps children affected by extreme poverty and HIV/AIDS in Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi.

Last year, the duke and Sentebale’s chairman Sophie Chandauka became embroiled in a public spat leading to the legal action.

In late March 2025, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso resigned from Sentebale as joint patrons because of infighting in the organisation.

The spat began when Dr Chandauka was asked to step down following disagreements about fundraising.

She responded by suing the charity and reporting it to the UK’s Charity Commission, alleging bullying, harassment, misogyny and “misogynoir” – discrimination against black women.

Her claims triggered the resignations of Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso and several trustees.

Days after Prince Harry’s resignation was made public, Dr Chandauka said she had been subjected to people who “play the victim card”.

The UK’s Charity Commission later criticised both sides for allowing the dispute to play out publicly but found no evidence of the behaviour alleged by Dr Chandauka.