Sentebale charity ‘pauses defamation claims against Prince Harry’ amid financial strain

A charity co-founded by Prince Harry has reportedly paused its High Court defamation claim against him after it accused him of a “co-ordinated adverse media campaign”.

Sentebale, which was founded by the Duke of Sussex and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006, had claimed the royal had caused “operational disruption and reputational harm” after resigning in 2025.

The Duke had made it clear he intended to clear his name and was prepared to go to trial, which could see the charity liable for the costs of both sides if they were unsuccessful in proving their claims.

The Telegraph now reports that Sentebale has stalled its legal action over concerns that the charity could be forced to fold if made to cover legal bills.

The organisation’s annual report shows a 20 per cent drop in income since the public fallout, which is attributed to “lower event income, reduced gifts in kind and lower donations from trusts and foundations”.

Overall income dropped from £2.345m in 2024 over a 16-month period to £2.024 in 2025 over a 12-month period, while net assets dropped from £567,000 at the end of 2024 to £250,000 at the end of 2025.

General reserves were in deficit by £10,000 while income from events dropped from £715,000 to just £70,000.

Gifts in kind dropped from £321,000 to £41,000.

Sentebale, which was founded in the memory of Princess Diana, is aimed to support children affected by HIV in Botswana and Lesotho.

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 chairwoman Dr Sophie Chandauka.

Dr Chanduaka had accused the board of harassment and bullying, and had suggested that the charity was a vanity project for the duke.

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 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.