Prince Harry defamation claim lodged by Sentebale is paused amid charity's financial woes

A defamation claim made by Sentebale against the charity's co-founder Prince Harry has been paused amid concerns over potentially devastating legal costs.

The Duke of Sussex was sued over allegations he co-ordinated an 'adverse media campaign' against the charity, causing 'operational disruption and reputational harm'.

But Sentebale faced a 20 per cent drop in income months after launching the claim – and it has now stalled amid fears a loss could see the charity fold to cover legal bills.

Harry is prepared to go to a trial in court to clear his name, which could result in Sentebale being forced to make a payout and be liable for the costs of both sides.

Now, all parties have agreed to extend the time for filing the acknowledgement of service and the defence - meaning the particulars of claim cannot go public for now.

Sentebale's latest accounts show it received about £2million in income in 2025, down from £2.5million in 2024, when a longer reporting period is adjusted to 12 months.

Income from events dropped from £715,000 in 2024 to £70,000 last year – reflecting the end of Harry's polo tournaments for the charity. But Sentebale did manage to pull in £342,000 in donations in 2025, which was up £50,000 on the previous year.

In April, online court filings revealed the duke was a defendant in a libel or slander claim alongside his childhood mentor Mark Dyer, a former trustee of Sentebale. 

Harry later responded to the allegations in a statement issued on behalf of him and Mr Dyer, saying they 'categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims'.

At the time, Sentebale's board of trustees and executive director said in a statement uploaded to the charity's website that it was seeking the court's 'protection'.

They added that the charity had been 'deeply moved' by the generosity of donors who have 'stood firm alongside them', and Sentebale's work is 'increasingly critical'.

In March last year, founders Harry and Prince Seeiso 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.

The row also followed an awkward exchange between Dr Chandauka and Harry’s wife Meghan Markle at a Miami charity polo event in aid of Sentebale in April 2024, where the duchess asked her to move away from Harry. 

Following Harry's resignation, Dr Chandauka went on television and accused him of 'harassment and bullying at scale', of playing 'the victim card', and observed that 'the number-one risk for this organisation was the toxicity of its lead patron's brand'.

The duke denied the claims – but 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 last year that Harry had been left emotionally devastated by the events, after 19 years of working with the charity.

Sentebale works in Botswana and Lesotho supporting the health and wellbeing of young people, especially those with HIV and Aids.

Harry and Prince Seeiso co-founded the charity in honour of the duke's late mother Princess Diana, who died in 1997.

Harry's representative declined to comment today. The Daily Mail has also contacted Sentebale for comment.

Reports of the case being put on hold were first revealed by the Telegraph.