Why is Prince Harry being sued for defamation?

News broke at the end of last week, that Prince Harry and another defendant are being sued for libel and slander by a charity Harry co-founded in 2006, in honour of Princes Diana. The charity is called Sentebale, which works with young people living with HIV and AIDS across countries in southern Africa. 

Why is a charity suing Prince Harry for defamation?

The claim for libel and slander against Prince Harry has only just been issued, but the claim alleges that Prince Harry and Mark Dyer (trustee of the charity):

• conducted a co-ordinated "adverse media campaign" and published "false narratives" about the charity;
• caused disruption and "reputational harm" to the charity and the people who led it, which meant the diversion of management time away from the charity's aims;
• tried to undermine relationships between the charity and its staff and other third parties; and
• were responsible for causing an onslaught of cyberbullying against charity leaders as a result of the defamatory campaign.

Prince Harry and Mr Mark Dyer deny that they have done anything wrong and suggested that the charity should be pursuing its charitable aims, rather than engaging in court proceedings. 

Prince Harry and other trustees left the charity around a year ago, following the resignation of its chair, issues with lawyers working for the charity, and a dispute about how Sentebale was being managed, as well as alleged financial problems and issues with fundraising. 

A Charity Commission investigation concluded in August 2025. It cleared Prince Harry of any racism, but was critical of all sides because of the public nature of the dispute between trustees, which it said had harmed the reputation of Sentebale.

What will happen next in the libel claim against Prince Harry?

Now that the claim for defamation against Prince Harry and Mr Dyer has been issued, the legal team for the defence will be considering whether to file a defence to the claim, ask for the claim to be struck out (if they think the claim is entirely without merit) or ask the court to list the matter for a preliminary hearing, to determine the meaning of the words complained of in defamation. 

The most likely next step will be a meaning hearing. At the meaning hearing, the judge will decide what the meaning of the allegedly defamatory words is, and then the defendants will have a short period of time in which to defend the claim. In reality, most defamation cases settle fairly swiftly after the conclusion of the meaning hearing. 

How should you respond if you are sued for libel or slander?

If you have been sued for libel or slander, you should not delay in taking legal advice. You only have 14 days to acknowledge service of the claim, and then another 14 days to file a defence, or ask the court for a meaning hearing. If you have been sued for libel, or for slander, you need legal advice from an expert. 

Libel and slander claims are incredibly complex, and meaning hearings are difficult technical hearings to deal with. We will be able to help you with every step, and you can speak to one of our expert lawyers if you contact us today.