A charity co-founded by Prince Harry has launched a libel lawsuit against the British royal and one of his close associates, according to court records filed in London. Sentebale, which was established to support vulnerable children in Lesotho, Southern Africa, submitted the defamation claim last month at the High Court. The suit also names Mark Dyer, a former trustee and close associate of Prince Harry, as a defendant. Specific details of the allegations have not been disclosed.

Sentebale, whose name means "forget-me-not" in the Sesotho language, was co-founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho nearly two decades ago, in memory of Harry’s late mother, Princess Diana. Both Harry and Prince Seeiso eventually resigned from the charity amid a highly publicized internal dispute. The charity’s board of trustees also saw significant departures during this turbulent period.

The conflict included accusations of bullying and harassment made by Chandauka, the charity’s former CEO, against Prince Harry and the trustees. In response to these allegations, the UK’s Charity Commission conducted a review and ultimately found no evidence of bullying. However, the regulator highlighted weaknesses in the charity’s governance and criticized all parties involved for failing to handle the dispute discreetly, leading to public exposure of internal conflicts.

Prince Harry described the breakdown in relations within the organization as "devastating," underscoring the personal impact of the dispute. Attempts to reach comment from both Prince Harry’s representatives and Sentebale have so far been unsuccessful.

The lawsuit marks an escalation in the long-running tensions between Prince Harry and his former charity, adding a new chapter to the complex relationship between the royal and the organization he helped establish with the stated mission of supporting children affected by HIV/AIDS and poverty in Lesotho. The legal process is expected to unfold further in the coming months.