Prince Harry insider takes swipe at Sentebale over ‘irony’ of media claim

Dorothy Reddin
Fri, 10 Apr 2026 21:37:09 +0000

Insiders close to Prince Harry have hit out at Sentebale's "ironic" statement released earlier on Friday evening.

The southern African charity lodged a High Court defamation action against the Duke of Sussex and a former Sentebale trustee, Mark Dyer, over allegations they co-ordinated an “adverse media campaign” which caused “operational disruption and reputational harm”.

A source close to Prince Harry told GB News: “The irony that Sentebale should release a proactive media statement stating that there is a ‘coordinated adverse media campaign’ against the charity is, I don’t think, lost on anyone.”

On Friday evening, Harry responded to the allegations in a statement issued by a spokesman on his behalf and Mr Dyer's.

TRENDING

Stories

Videos

Your Say

It said: “As Sentebale’s co-founder and a founding trustee, they categorically reject these offensive and damaging claims.

“It is extraordinary that charitable funds are now being used to pursue legal action against the very people who built and supported the organisation for nearly two decades, rather than being directed to the communities the charity was created to serve.”

GB News understands that no charity funds are being used for Sentebale's lawsuit.

In a statement uploaded to Sentebale’s website, the board of trustees and executive director said the charity is seeking the court’s “protection”.

It said: “The charity seeks the court’s intervention, protection, and restitution following a co-ordinated adverse media campaign conducted since 25 March 2025 that has caused operational disruption and reputational harm to the charity, its leadership, and its strategic partners.

“The proceedings have been brought against Prince Harry and Mark Dyer, identified through evidence as the architects of that adverse media campaign, which has had significant viral impact and triggered an onslaught of cyber-bullying directed at the charity and its leadership.

“Sentebale has experienced the adverse media campaign as false narratives circulated through the media about the charity and its leadership, attempts to undermine its relationships with staff, existing and prospective partners, and the forced diversion of leadership time and resources into managing a reputational crisis not of the charity’s making.”

The board of trustees said in the statement that those at the charity have been “deeply moved” by the generosity of donors who have “stood firm alongside them”.

LATEST ROYAL DEVELOPMENTS

Harry 'categorically rejects offensive and damaging' libel claim

Sentebale accuses Harry of 'triggering onslaught of cyber-bullying': READ FULL

Sentebale charity sues Prince Harry for libel following major fallout

It said the work Sentebale delivers is “increasingly critical”, adding: “The charity should not continue to use its resources to manage and address the damage this adverse media campaign has caused to its operations and partnerships.

“This must stop. The board and executive director have taken this legal action to secure that protection. The costs of doing so are met entirely by external funding and no charitable funds have been used.”

It added: “The board and executive director trust that those who believe in Sentebale’s mission will understand why this legal action, whilst difficult, was necessary and important, and will continue to stand with us as we focus on the work ahead.

“Sentebale’s focus remains where it has always been: the children and young people of Lesotho and Botswana. Sentebale does not intend to comment further on this matter while legal proceedings are ongoing.”

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 the board of trustees chairwoman, Dr Sophie Chandauka.

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 2025 that Harry had been left emotionally devastated by the events, after 19 years of working with the charity.