Prince Harry’s Sentebale Team Defeats Royal Salute In ISPS Handa Polo Cup

Prince Harry’s Sentebale team won a narrowly contested match in the ISPS Handa Polo Cup against Royal Salute’s team captained by professional polo player Malcolm Borwick on July 26.

The charity match raised more than $1.3 million to benefit Sentebale, the non-profit founded by Prince Harry in 2006. The event, which included a luncheon that featured Royal Salute 21 Year Old whisky, was held at the Royal Berkshire Polo Club near Windsor, outside of London.

The Duke of Sussex’ team comprised of professional polo player Nacho Figueras, Ashley Busch and Miguel Mendoza. They prevailed in a close match over the Royal Salute team, which was led by Royal Salute Polo Ambassador Malcolm Borwick, Riley Ganzi, Chett Lott and Saad Audeh. The Duchess of Sussex, Meghan Markle, was also in attendance at the event.

At the luncheon preceding the polo competition, Prince Harry spoke eloquently of the charity he founded in 2006 (two years after spending a portion of his gap year living in Lesotho) and the important role it serves in Lesotho and Botswana by providing vital access to accommodation, care, education and critical psychosocial support for more than 4,000 children and young people affected by or living with HIV.

“Huge strides have been made in the fight against the HIV and yet this generation are being left behind,” the Duke of Sussex explained. “The epidemic is very much still with us. Prince Seesiso and I started Sentebale twelve years ago to support children and young people in Lesotho whose lives were being torn apart by poverty and both the social and physical effects of HIV. Since then we have been working hard to break down the stigma and discrimination that affect so many people living with HIV.”

“We now run local camps in Lesotho and elsewhere and our children’s centers provide the unique experience for children and give them the tools and knowledge they need to live long happy healthy lives,” the Duke added. “We have learned that in addition to treating the physical effects of HIV we must also support and nurture a young person to help them understand their condition. To teach them how to manage their well-being and diet and to give them the confidence to stand up against judgement and prejudice.”

Through its Royal Salute World Polo platform, Royal Salute is a staple in the sport of polo as it has sponsored more than 15 international tournaments in the United Kingdom, the United States, Argentina, China and Korea, featuring some of the world’s best polo players.

Royal Salute has also supported and sponsored a variety of polo events that have featured Prince Harry and Prince William, both talented amateur polo players, while raising important funds for charities supported by the princes. In addition to Prince Harry’s Sentebale, other non-profits that have benefited from the polo charity events include Prince William’s Tusk Trust and The American Friends of The Foundation of Prince William and Prince Harry.