In his father King Charles’ and his brother Prince William’s footsteps, Prince Harry to has taken after their passion for the sport of Polo. The irresistible pull of the sport managed to draw him in at a young age, considering he has been to numerous polo matches, watching his father play with mystifying energy onfield. Prince Harry’s father, as he himself has often mentioned, has been pivotal to his polo career. The British royal family has long considered itself a staple in polo. In the piece, we trace Prince Harry’s journey through the world of polo.
On Prince Harry’s life
Prince Harry was born in Paddington, London, on 15 September 1984 to the Prince of Wales (now King Charles III) and his then-wife, Diana, Princess of Wales. He was their second child, with Prince William having been born three years previously. He was primarily raised at Kensington Palace in London, and Highgrove House in Gloucestershire. Growing up, Prince Harry’s mother, Princess gave them broader life experiences than those usually available to royal children. She took them to Walt Disney World and McDonald’s, among others whom both he and his brother credit for their humility. The prince was educated in a number of independent schools across England and thereafter followed his older brother to Eton. Even during his school years, Prince Harry excelled at sports, having earned the distinction of being ‘a top tier athlete’. After finishing school, Harry took a gap year, during which he spent time in Australia. During this time he also participated in Young England vs Young Australia Polo Test match, to hone his polo skills.
To further continue his military-academic work, Prince Harry enrolled at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, where he came to be known as Officer Cadet Wales. In 2006, Harry completed his officer training and was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the Household Cavalry regiment of the British Army. After spending two years there, he was promoted to lieutenant. During his time in the armed forces, he twice served alongside other U.S.-led NATO forces in Afghanistan. For his service, his aunt, Princess Anne, presented Harry with an Operational Service Medal for Afghanistan.
Having witnessed first the havoc wreaked by the war on the lives of soldiers, Prince Harry decided to initiate a sporting competition as an avenue for them to showcase their talents despite their war injuries. In 2014, Harry launched Invictus Games, a Paralympic-style sporting event for injured servicemen and women. Prince Harry later wrote an article in The Sunday Times about his experiences in Afghanistan and how they had inspired him to help injured personnel, he had then vowed to create the Invictus Games.
Since leaving the army, Prince Harry has undertaken several official engagements on behalf of his grandmother, Queen Elizabeth II.Â
In 2018, Prince Harry wed his girlfriend, American actress Meghan Markle. Harry was made Duke of Sussex prior to his wedding. The due is now commonly recognised as Prince Harry-Meghan Markle. Both Prince Harry’s son Archie Mountbatten-Windsor and Prince Harry’s daughter Lilibet Mountbatten-Windsor, have a multiracial ethnicity, given Prince Harry’s wife, Meghan Markle, is biracial.
In 2020, the couple stepped down from their positions as senior members of the royal family and moved to the Duchess’s native Southern California. His departure caused much anguish to other royals, most notably Prince Harry’s brother Prince William cut off ties with the former.
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex’s legacy in Polo
Similar to his father, King Charles III, and his brother, Prince William, Prince Harry showed a passion for sporting activities, especially polo. It is said that both brothers are extremely competitive and often are on opposing teams in polo matches. Prince Harry always enjoys advantages in them, given Prince William is left-handed, he’s at a slight disadvantage when it comes to playing the sport, which favors right-handed players. That said, their prowess at polo has been remarkable with them having swept up several trophies over the years.
Prince Harry is also known to raise money for humanitarian causes through polo. For instance, his Sentebale Cup has raised nearly £792 million in its lifetime, to create awareness around various humanitarian issues faced in Southern Africa. The raised money is then deployed to support work with children and young people in Southern Africa whose lives have been affected by extreme poverty among others. He also often contributes from his own wealth, considering Prince Harry’s net worth of $60 million.
Since moving to Southern California, the Duke of Sussex has taken up the sport on a professional basis with him now playing for the prestigious Los Padres team. At these outings, the Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle can often be seen by the side of the pitch, cheering her husband on in his matches. Prince Harry’s young children too sometimes tag along.
