The Duke of Sussex has moved his share of proceeds from his late mother’s memorial fund away from Sentebale, the African charity he co-founded, and towards Elephants Without Borders, a Botswana-based conservation group.
For years, Prince Harry chose to donate his portion of the annual income generated by the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund to Sentebale, which supports orphans and vulnerable young people in southern Africa. That arrangement unravelled after his relationship with Sophie Chandauka, the charity’s board chairman, broke down in 2025, leading Harry and the rest of the board of trustees to step aside amid public acrimony. Sentebale later sued the Duke for defamation, alleging he coordinated a hostile media campaign that damaged the charity’s operations and reputation — claims he has strongly denied.
A New Cause
Harry’s share of the Diana fund is now going to Elephants Without Borders, an organisation with which he and the Duchess of Sussex have a long-standing connection. Dr Mike Chase, the charity’s founder, has known the Duke for more than 20 years and said his continued support was deeply appreciated.
The funds have already been put to use fitting satellite-tracking collars to two elephants in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, named Archie and Lili after the Sussexes’ children. According to Dr Chase, Prince Archie chose a blue collar and Princess Lilibet chose purple for the animals named in their honour, which have since been released back into the wild across northern Botswana. Dr Chase said the gesture was intended to instill in the children the same passion for the region that their father holds.
Background on the Fund
The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund was established shortly after her death in 1997 and formally closed in 2012, with the Royal Foundation taking legal control of it in 2013 to manage any future income. Though it no longer actively fundraises, it still occasionally receives legacies and donations, which are distributed to charities selected by Princes William and Harry.
Following the Sussexes’ departure from royal duties in 2020, the brothers agreed to split future proceeds from the fund as part of the broader separation of their charitable work. Harry initially directed his portion to Sentebale, which supports people affected by poverty and HIV/Aids in Lesotho, Botswana and Malawi.
Financial records filed by the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales show Sentebale received a total of £43,866 from the fund between 2020 and 2024, with a final payment of £16,743 made that year. The latest accounts confirm that in 2025, Harry’s £5,432 share was redirected entirely to Elephants Without Borders for the first time.
A Long-Standing Connection
Harry’s ties to Dr Chase and Botswana run deep. Dr Chase was among the small circle told in August 2017 that Harry had begun dating Meghan Markle, and the couple later travelled to Botswana together to take part in elephant tracking and tagging on World Elephant Day. During a 2019 royal tour of southern Africa, Harry joined the charity to plant trees along the Chobe River, and the following year Meghan narrated a Disney nature documentary about elephants, donating her fee to the organisation.
Royal Foundation’s Record Year
Separately, the Royal Foundation reported what it called a landmark year in its 2025 annual review, with income rising sharply from £12.2 million to £19.6 million — a jump attributed to an updated fundraising strategy that boosted both donations and legacy income. The additional funds are supporting initiatives including the Prince of Wales’s Homewards programme and the Princess of Wales’s early childhood project.
The report also noted income of £259,000 from the Earthshot Prize, alongside a rise in unrestricted income from £6.8 million to £11 million, reflecting growth in the charity’s donor base. The American Friends of the Royal Foundation, a Delaware-registered arm of the organisation, contributed almost £8.7 million in 2025 — nearly double the £4.9 million it donated the previous year.
Source: Financial statements filed by the Royal Foundation of the Prince and Princess of Wales
