Meghan Markle kisses Prince Harry as he wins charity polo match in Florida - all the photos

The Duke of Sussex went head-to-head against his friend, Nacho Figueras

Los Angeles correspondentLos Angeles

New York

Updated: On 13 April 202413 Apr 2024, 00:55 BST

The Duchess of Sussex was there to cheer on her husband Prince Harry at a charity polo match on Friday, and give him a congratulatory kiss as his team Sentebale won the day's trophy.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle pose for photos with Argentine professional polo player Ignacio "Nacho" Figueras, and his wife Delfina Blaquier

The Duke of Sussex, 39, went head-to-head against his longtime friend Nacho Figueras in the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, which benefits Harry's charity, Sentebale. The Duke's team, Sentebale, won the first match 1-0 although Harry was unable to score any points; his second, against Nacho, saw him score one point and the team went on to win, ensuring that they were crowned champions of the day.

"Well done, everyone!" Meghan said as she greeted the Sentebale team.

Meghan presents the winner's cup to Prince Harry

Harry's turn on the field came towards the end of the day, with the Prince wearing a blue jersey and white riding pants for the two matches he was set to play in, showing off his polo prowess on the fields as the crowds were encouraged to cheer.

Meghan, who looked chic in an ivory silk and hemp Heidi Merrick dress which retails for $515 and even featured a cheeky cut-out section - perfect for the hot Wellington, Florida weather - paired her look with Aquazzura heels, vintage Chanel jewellery and a Valentino purse.

The couple laugh together as Meghan presents him and his polo teammates with the trophy for winning the 2024 Royal Salute Polo Challenge to Benefit Sentebale

The Duchess arrived at the trophy ceremony in a gold cart with Nacho's wife Delfina, and Harry helped her back down off the stage following the delivery.

As Nacho's team received their prizes - a bottle of Royal Salute and frame from Inkerwell - he joked with the announcer that he had actually scored three goals that day, after it came across the tannoy that he had scored two. Nacho's eldest son Hilario was also on his team with him.

Meghan was all smile as she gave Harry and his team the trophy

Earlier in the day, as the former royals arrived, Meghan was spotted hugging Argentine polo player Nacho and his 11-year-old daughter Alba, before Harry and Meghan took pictures alongside Nacho and his wife Delfina Blaquier.

Meghan looked gorgeous in a summery dress and vintage Chanel earrings

There were also warm greetings for the Sentebale executives, and when it was time for the Harry and Nacho to have their turn in front of the cameras, Meghan and Delfina grabbed hands as they walked out of the step and repeat.

The Duchess waved whilst holding hands with Nacho and Delphine's daughter — The Duchess waved whilst holding hands with Nacho and Delfina's daughter

HELLO! also caught the sweet moment Meghan wrapped an arm around young Alba's shoulder as they walked into the event, and Nacho joked with the Duke and Duchess that Alba wanted to know why their youngest daughter Lili was not in attendance.

Meghan showed her closeness to Nacho and Delphine's youngest daughter as she gave her a hug — Meghan showed her closeness to Nacho and Delfina's youngest daughter as she gave her a hug

Meghan Markle walks with her arm around Nacho Figueras' daughter Alba

The event comes just days after the Duke appeared at a summit in San Francisco for mental health and coaching company BetterUp.

Prince Harry's scored one of his team's goals

What is Sentebale?

Prince Harry with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho

Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho co-founded Sentebale in 2006 as a response to the needs of children and young people living in the southern African nation.

The charity's name, Sentebale, means forget-me-not in the Sesotho language of Lesotho and represents a pledge to remember and help vulnerable children.

Since 2010, the annual Polo Cup has raised over £11 million to support Sentebale’s work with children and young people affected by poverty, inequality and HIV/AIDS in southern Africa.

Rules of polo

Playing field and equipment

Played on grass, with a ball and mallets the principle pieces. A standard polo pitch measures up to 270 metres by 150 metres. The ball weighs around 4.5 ounces and the mallets measure 49 to 54 inches. Riders require a protective equestrian helmet, knee-length boots, spurs and a whip. Two gloves with wristbands are worn too. Polo jerseys are numbered one to four and relate to player positions.

Protagonists

Two teams comprising four players each (and their horses!). Team members are either assigned to 'defence' or 'attack'.

Duration

Matches last about one and a half to two hours and are divided into seven-and-a-half-minute periods called chukkas. There are either four or six chukkas in a match, divided by halftime. During halftime, spectators are asked to tend to divots on the field.

Matchplay

To start the match, an official rolls the ball into play. Players score by driving the ball between the open posts of the opposing goal which measures 7.3 metres in width.. There is no rule on how high the ball can travel through the air. Teams change ends after each goal. Fouls are divided into crosses, foul hooks and dangerous engagements. In the event of foul, a penalty is awarded during which the transgressing team must be positioned a minimum of 27.4 metres from the ball. The team which scores the most goals wins. In the event of a draw, sudden death overtime is played in which the first team to score triumphs.

Credit: The UK Rules

Prince Harry's friendship with Nacho Figueras

Professional Polo Player Nacho Figueras and Prince Harry attend the awards ceremony following the 2009 Veuve Clicquot Manhattan Polo Classic — Nacho and Harry in New York in 2009

The royal and the Argentine polo player's friendship goes way back to 2007, a year after Harry first set up Sentebale.

Nacho is a longtime ambassador for the charity and previously said of Harry to PEOPLE magazine in 2022: "From day one, I saw how committed he was to his charity. Fast forward 15 years, I've been to Lesotho with him a few times, and I've seen what great work the charity does and how important it is for a lot of kids, how committed he is, how much he really cares about it."

The pair have played in polo matches all around the world, with their last taking place in Singapore in August 2023, with Nacho sharing a hilarious candid snap of them wearing sunglasses and "shopping for our wives" in a gift store.

Soon after the Prince went on his first date with Suits star Meghan, Nacho was one of the friends who knew about their romance, as revealed in their Netflix docuseries.

Nacho and his wife, Delfina, were also among the guests to attend Harry and Meghan's royal wedding in 2018.

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