Prince Seeiso of Lesotho Leaves Charity Co-Founded With Prince Harry

Sentebale, an HIV-AIDS charity co-founded by Prince Harry, has filed a defamation lawsuit against the Duke of Sussex and former trustee Mark Dyer in the High Court of England and Wales. The legal action, filed in March 2026, follows a prolonged management dispute that led to the prince’s departure from the organization in 2025.

The charity, which provides support to youth living with HIV in southern Africa, is seeking court intervention, protection, and restitution. According to court records, Sentebale alleges that Prince Harry and Mark Dyer were the architects of a coordinated adverse media campaign that began on March 25, 2025.

The charity claims this campaign caused significant operational disruption and reputational harm to its leadership and strategic partners, while triggering an onslaught of cyber-bullying directed at the organization. The suit specifically cites claims of libel or slander.

A spokesperson for Prince Harry and Mark Dyer has responded to the allegations, stating that the pair categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims.

Origins and Governance Disputes

Prince Harry co-founded Sentebale in 2006 alongside Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to honor the memory of his mother, Diana, Princess of Wales. The charity’s name, Sentebale, translates to forget-me-not in the local language of Lesotho.

Internal tensions reportedly surfaced in 2023 during disagreements over a new fundraising strategy. These frictions eventually escalated into a conflict between the charity’s board of trustees and the chairwoman of the board, Dr. Sophie Chandauka.

On March 26, 2025, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso resigned as patrons of the charity. In a joint statement released at the time, they expressed that they were stepping down with heavy hearts and in solidarity with the board of trustees.

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

Joint statement from Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, March 26, 2025

Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso asserted that the trustees had acted in the best interest of the organization by asking Dr. Chandauka to resign. They further stated that her decision to take legal action to maintain her position underscored the failure of the relationship.

Allegations of Misconduct

The dispute has involved mutual accusations of misconduct. Dr. Sophie Chandauka accused Prince Harry of orchestrating a campaign of harassment and bullying intended to force her out of her role as chairwoman.

Dr. Chandauka also reported the trustees to the UK Charity Commission, claiming she had blown the whistle on several internal issues. Her allegations included:

• Abuse of power
• Bullying
• Sexism
• Racism

The UK Charity Commission has since confirmed it is aware of concerns regarding the governance of Sentebale and is conducting an investigation into the matter.

Former trustees Timothy Boucher, Mark Dyer, Audrey Kgosidintsi, Dr. Kelello Lerotholi, and Damian West described their decision to resign in March 2025 as nothing short of devastating. They stated they had lost all trust and confidence in the chairwoman and felt they had no other option but to leave after her legal actions blocked their efforts to remove her.

At the time of their resignation, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso stated they would share their concerns with the Charity Commission regarding how the governance breakdown occurred.