Sentebale, the HIV/AIDS charity co-founded by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006, has filed a defamation lawsuit against Harry in the United Kingdom. The legal action follows a public falling-out between the Duke and the organisation he helped establish to support children and young people affected by HIV in southern Africa.
Prince Harry resigned from Sentebale's board of trustees in late 2024. Following his departure, statements attributed to Harry about the charity's leadership and governance reportedly prompted the organisation to pursue legal action, alleging those statements were defamatory and damaging to Sentebale's reputation.
The lawsuit represents a significant and public rupture between Harry and a cause he had championed for nearly two decades, inspired in part by the legacy of his late mother, Diana, Princess of Wales, who was known for her own advocacy around HIV/AIDS awareness. Sentebale has operated primarily in Lesotho and Botswana, providing psychosocial support and healthcare to vulnerable youth.
The legal proceedings add to a period of sustained controversy surrounding the Duke of Sussex, who stepped back from royal duties in 2020 alongside his wife Meghan Markle and relocated to the United States. Representatives for Prince Harry had not issued a detailed public response to the claim at the time of publication.
