Prince Harry is shifting his 2025 portoin of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund toward Elephants Without Borders. As reported by the source, this move marks a significant change in how the Duke manages his share of the princess's legacy income.
The £5,432 pivot to Botswana's Okavango Delta
The allocation of £5,432 will support wildlife conservation efforts in northern Botswana. According to the report, Elephants Without Borders intends to use these funds to equip two elephants with satellite-tracking collars. In a personal touch, the animals have been named Archie and Lili after the Duke's children, who even helped select the collar colors—blue for Archie and purple for Lili.
This environmental focus aligns with previous efforts by Meghan, who once supported the organization through her narration of the Disney documentary Elephant. the tracking technology is intended to help conservationists monitor elephant movements to better protect the species within the Okavango Delta and surrounding regions.
Legal turmoil and the March 2025 Sentebale resignations
This redirection follows a period of intense instability at Sentebale, the chaity Harry co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006. the organization, which supports youth affected by HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and Botswana,saw Harry and several trustees resign in March 2025. This mass departure was triggered by a governance conflict involving the charity's board.
Between 2020 and 2024, Harry had provided Sentebale with a total of £43,866 from his share of the Diana Memorial Fund, including a final payment of £16,743 in 2024. The recent decision to move funds away from the charity suggests a cooling of his long-standing financial commitment to the organization.
Unresolved details in the Sophie Chandauka defamation claim
A central driver of the Sentebale unrest is a legal dispute involving former board chair Sophie Chandauka. Chandauka has filed a defamation claim against Prince Harry and former trustee Mark Dyer, alleging that the Duke's media presence caused reputational and operational harm. While Harry has dismissed these allegations as "offensive and damaging," the source does not specify the exact nature of the "adverse media campaign" cited in the claim.
Furthermore, it remains unclear how the Charity Commission's criticism of the public nature of this dispute will affect the long-term administration of the fund. The Commission has warned that such public disagreements damage confidence across the entire charitable sector.
A legacy split between the Duke and the Prince of Wales
The current distribution of funds is the result of a 2020 arrangement following the Duke and Duchess of Sussex's departure from royal duties. Under this agreement, proceeds from the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund are divdied between Prince Harry and Prince William, allowing each to select their own preferred charities.
While the fund was formally closed in 2012, it continues to receive legacy payments administered by the Royal Foundation. This latest shift, recorded in the Royal Foundation's latest accounts, suggests a potential permanent realignment of Harry's charitable priorities toward environmental causes in Africa.
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