Polo prince Nacho Figueras and Harry, Prince of Wales, wave to the crowd before a May 4 Wellington charity polo match to benefit Sentabale, the Prince’s African children’s charity.(Post photo/Allen Eyestone)
Is this a polo “bromance”?
Leading up to Wednesday’s charity polo match in Wellington, the Prince of England and the Prince of Polo engaged in a week of texting banter about whose team would take home the trophy from the Prince’s Sentabale Royal Salute Polo Cup, said Nacho Figueras, Argentinean polo god and Ralph Lauren model.
Figueras, a Sentabale Ambassador for the Prince’s African children’s charity, paused to speak to the media before the match, which was held May 4 under rain-swollen skies on a sodden private polo field south of Lake Worth Rd.
“He’s really fun,” said Figueras of his royal pal. “We’ve been joking about who’s going to win. He’s really fun to be around.”
Nacho, who has four children, said he strongly supports Sentabale’s mission of helping children living with HIV and AIDS. He and Prince Harry, who’s on the cover of new People talking about how his life mission is to “make my mother incredibly proud,” visited the the charity’s operation together in the southern African country of Lesotho.
“It’s important to get over the stigma of HIV,” Figueras, 39, said, “and to get behind these kids. They’re the future of Africa.”
A casually-dressed Harry, wearing a scruffy red beard, showed up a few minutes later escorting Figueras’ wife, photographer Delfina Blaquier.
“Welcome to the Sunshine State,” the ginger-haired Prince, 31, said, laughing, indicating the gray skies overhead.
Prince Harry and Delfina Blaquier, wife of polo player Nacho Figueras, arrive at the private Valiente Polo Farm in Wellington May 4. (Post photo/Allen Eyestone)
The Prince, fifth in line to the English throne, seemed to have some royal power over the weather.
As soon as he arrived at the Valiente Polo Farm, where the event was held, the afternoon torrent trickled to a drizzle, then stopped for the duration of the match. It started up again at the end of the games, as trophies were awarded.
After the Prince’s Sentabale team won the trophy against Figueras’ Royal Salute squad, it was obvious the two men are good friends.
With some good-natured trash talk on the trophy stand, Figueras swiped the gold horse-and-rider out of the Prince’s hands, who grabbed it back.
Nacho Figueras tries to swipe the winner’s trophy from Prince Harry. (Post photo/Rich Graulich)
Prince Harry and Nacho Figueras shake hands after a polo match as Figueras’ wife, Delfina Blanquier, looks on. (Post photo/Rich Graulich)
A Sentabale spokeswoman said the Prince’s charity hoped to raise more than a million dollars from the match, which will go toward sending 1,500 children to the Mamohato Children’s Center, where they are educated about the virus in hopes of ending Africa’s AIDS epidemic.
Speaking to donors afterward, Prince Harry said later this year Sentabale expects to expand its work into Botswana.
