A charity co-founded by Prince Harry in honor of his late mother Princess Diana, whom he left after a high-profile controversy, is suing the British royal for defamation in the High Court in London, a court record revealed on Friday.
King Charles’s younger son Harry co-founded Sentebale in 2006 to help young people living with HIV and AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana, but resigned as patron in March 2025 after a public falling out with board chair Sophie Chandouka.
The move has drawn mixed reactions, with the Duke of Sussex’s fans condemning the organisation, while his critics in the UK have been lauding the charity.
Taking to social media, British journalist Dan Wootton shared a photo of Meghan and Harry’s appearance at a charity event, voicing support for Sentebale.
He wrote: “Dr. Sophie Chandouka is a hero for suing Prince Harry. For too long this bitter and twisted former royal has used the British defamation system to further her ridiculous bid for vengeance against those who, for example, reported the truth about her.”
“When defamation tourism doesn’t work,” Wootton said, he encourages the biggest gang of online trolls in the history of the Internet – The Sussex Squad – to lie.
“I have been a victim of both their legal tactics and lies. It is disgusting and reputation destroying.”
“While I try to avoid spurious legal action, Dr. Sophie and Sentebale are proving to the Duke of Delusions that what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, too.”
“And never forget that Meghan Markle, as always, was the one who did all this out of jealousy of Dr. Sophie’s ruthless professionalism.”
“The fact that she cannot falsely cry racism in this case makes it particularly personnel, given that Dr. Sophie herself is a black woman.”
Sentebale filed a defamation claim in the High Court last month against Harry and one of his close friends, Mark Dyer, who was also a trustee of the charity, according to records made public on Friday.
The charity said it was seeking the court’s “intervention, protection and indemnification” following an “adverse media campaign” carried out since last March that had “caused operational disruption and reputational damage to the charity, its leadership and its strategic partners.”
“Proceedings have been taken against Prince Harry and Mark Dyer, who have been identified through evidence as the architects of an adverse media campaign that has had significant viral impact and triggered a cyber-bullying attack on the charity and its leadership,” the charity’s statement said.
