The Duke of Sussex will saddle up later today for an annual polo tournament in Aspen, Colorado, to raise money and publicize his charity Sentebale, it has been announced.
Prince Harry, 37, who is currently living in his $14 million California mansion after leaving his royal duty, will play on the Sentebale team, alongside his longtime friend and the charity ambassador: Argentine polo player Nacho Figueras .
They will face the Royal Salute and the US Polo Assn teams in a round robin tournament.
Argentine Ignacio Figueras (known as Nacho) has played polo with Prince Harry in several matches over the years, attended the royal wedding and was one of the first to meet his son Archie in 2019.
It’s unclear if the Duchess will attend the tournament to cheer for her husband – she was a fixture while Prince Harry played in LA for the past year.
The Duke of Sussex will saddle up for an annual polo tournament in Aspen, Colorado, to raise money and publicize his charity Sentebale.
The Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup is held annually at the Aspen Valley Polo Club and serves as the largest fundraising event for the charity to further its mission to benefit youth in Lesotho and Botswana.
Sentable was founded in 2006 by Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho.
The charity works with children and young people in southern Africa whose lives have been affected by extreme poverty, inequality, HIV/AIDS and, more recently, Covid-19.
Prior to the event Harry said: ‘We are delighted to be returning to the beautiful grounds of Aspen Valley Polo Club for the annual Sentebale ISPS Handa Polo Cup.
Prince Harry plays on the Sentebale team, alongside his longtime friend and charity ambassador: Argentine polo player Nacho Figueras (pictured in 2018)
“Sixteen years ago, Prince Seeiso and I founded Sentebale in honor of our mothers’ work on HIV, and named it after my mother’s favorite flower, the ‘forget-me-not’ in Sesotho, which stands for our dedication to always remember and advocate for those in need.
“We are all proud of the support we can give the youth of Lesotho and Botswana to become strong, healthy, resilient and able to thrive.
“The funds raised this year will be invested in these communities at a critical time as inequalities have been exacerbated by the pandemic.
“We are immensely grateful to our partners and supporters here today, especially our longstanding title sponsor, ISPS Handa, for making this day possible.”
dr. Haruhisa Handa, founder of the international sports promotion association ISPS Handa, said Harry and Prince Seeiso’s work ‘has changed the landscape for the care of people suffering from HIV/AIDS in Lesotho and beyond’.
The news comes days after Meghan released her first bombshell podcast Archetypes, in which she claimed a fire broke out in her son Archie’s room during a royal tour in South Africa in 2019.
Harry’s friend Nacho has long been a supporter of the Sussexes and vocally defended them in the press.
He appeared on Ellen’s show in September 2019 to announce that he would “defend his friends” with his life and has even launched a royal-inspired fragrance.
And in recent months, Nacho and Harry have put on a particularly tactile display as they played polo together at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club.
Described by Tatler as “the David Beckham of Polo,” he now has a handicap of 6 goals and an estimated net worth of $30 million and has been modeling for Ralph Lauren since 2000.
Speaking about his friendship with the royal family, Nacho told Town and Country magazine in 2019: “What I like most about him is how genuine he is and how serious he is about improving the lives of children who are not the have had blessings that we have. had.’
The news of Harry’s final appearance comes days after Meghan released her first bombshell podcast Archetypes, in which she revealed some personal stories about her life with the Duke.
Among them was a claim that a fire broke out in her son Archie’s room during a royal tour of South Africa in 2019.
A royal expert said yesterday that the Duchess would have known that the ‘show must go on’ and that her engagement should continue after the situation with her son Archie
A royal expert said yesterday that the Duchess would have known that the ‘show must go on’ and that her engagements should continue after the situation.
Royal commentator Richard Fitzwilliams told MailOnline he doesn’t think the palace will be “undue concern” about what Meghan said about the fire incident.
Archie, then four months old, wasn’t in the room in Cape Town when a stove started smoking – but the incident left the Duchess of Sussex “shaken” and “in tears,” she told tennis star Serena Williams in her new podcast.
Others would remember the incident that happened on September 23, 2019 – and while they don’t remember there was an actual fire, the heater certainly smoked and was unplugged and dealt with.
Despite the upset, Meghan said in the Spotify podcast released yesterday that she was obliged to go through with official agreements, accusing those leading the tour of focusing on “what it looks like, rather than how it looks.” feels’.
And sources have defended the Duchess about the incident, saying it would have understandably raised concerns for any parent. The Sussexes were then moved to other accommodation while the tour continued.
There would no doubt have been an expectation for Harry and Meghan to go ahead with their engagement after months of planning on the spot – but as senior royals, the couple would have had the final say on going ahead.