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Sentebale is a registered charity founded in 2006 by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho. It helps struggling children and adolescents to come to terms with their HIV and AIDS diagnosis. The charity also provides a safe environment for them to address their mental health among their peers, giving them tools and knowledge.
Prince Harry met Prince Seeiso during his gap year in Lesotho and was moved to help vulnerable children and young people in the country. Prince Harry explained the meaning behind the charity name during the Concert for Diana. "Sentebale" means "forget-me-not" in Sesotho and the name was chosen "as a memorial to the charity work of our own mothers, as well as a reminder to us all not to forget Lesotho or its children."
Lesotho has the second-highest rate of HIV in the world, with more than 37,000 Basotho children aged under 14 living with HIV. The country has 360,000 orphans. Around 10 per cent of all children in Lesotho are vulnerable. Sentebale aims to combat these issues and to work with vulnerable children and their communities so they can reach their full potential. The charity focuses on community-led development that matches actual needs.
After 10 years of operating in Lesotho, in November 2016, the charity launched their new operation in Botswana. The annual Sentebale Polo Cup, in which Prince Harry usually participates, is held to raise money for the charity.
In March 2025, Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso, along with some of the trustees of the charity, resigned from their positions following an internal row with the chair of the board of trustees.
The country has the second-highest rate of HIV/AIDS in the world. Knowledge about HIV prevention is also low. The two most common misconceptions about HIV/AIDS in Lesotho are that a person can become infected through mosquito bites or sharing food. Someone who has comprehensive knowledge of HIV is defined as someone who will "in response to a prompted question, agree that people can reduce their chances of getting the AIDS virus by having sex with only one uninfected, faithful partner and by using condoms consistently; know that a healthy-looking person can have the AIDS virus; and know that HIV cannot be transmitted by mosquito bites or by sharing food with a person who has AIDS." In Lesotho, only 38 per cent of women and 29 per cent of men ages 15 to 49 have comprehensive knowledge about HIV/AIDS. Among youth, this figure is 39 percent for women and 29 percent for men.
Johnny Hornby was appointed chairman of the board in March 2018 and remained in that position until his resignation in July 2023, when Dr Sophie Chandauka was appointed to the role.
In 2009, Michael Ashcroft donated £250,000 to Sentebale to remedy financial difficulties at the charity. A new chief executive, Kedge Martin, joined in 2009. Before joining Sentebale, Martin was the CEO of WellChild, a charity that provides care, support, and research to sick children in the UK.
The 2010 report and accounts showed £2.089 million had been raised for the charity with £1.334 million being spent on charitable activities. This was an increase in funds raised by 16 percent. 72 percent of expenditure was spent on supporting orphans and vulnerable children in Lesotho; 27 percent was spent on fundraising and 1 percent on governance.
In 2016, ITV filmed a documentary by Russ Malkin called Prince Harry in Africa that followed the prince as he visited Lesotho and talked about Sentebale's work. Also in 2016, the charity started work in Botswana.
In 2025, a dispute arose between the trustees and the chair of the board, Sophie Chandauka, concerning fundraising in Africa. The incident resulted in the trustees asking Chandauka to step down, however, she sued the charity in return. Timothy Boucher, Mark Dyer, Audrey Kgosidintsi, Kelello Lerotholi and Damian West subsequently resigned from their positions as trustees, followed by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso stepping down as patrons. Chandauka also reported the charity to the Charity Commission, stating that she had "blown the whistle" about "poor governance, weak executive management, abuse of power, bullying, harassment, misogyny, misogynoir – and the coverup that ensued". Chandauka later accused Harry of harassment and bullying to force her out, in an interview with Sky News. In early April 2025, the Charity Commission announced that they had formally opened an investigation into the dispute. In August 2025 the Charity Commission announced it found no evidence of "widespread or systemic bullying or harassment, including misogyny or misogynoir" or "over-reach" by either Chandauka or Prince Harry but acknowledged a "strong perception of ill treatment felt by a number of parties" and stated that deciding on specific allegations of bullying was outside the purview of its regulatory authority. It also criticised all sides for allowing the conflict "to play out publicly" and cited poor internal governance and a "failure to resolve disputes internally" as factors that impacted the charity's reputation.
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