Meghan Markle kisses Prince Harry as he wins charity polo match in Florida – live updates

The Duchess of Sussex was there to cheer on her husband Prince Harry at a charity polo match on April 12, 2024, and give him a congratulatory kiss as his team Sentebale won the day’s trophy.

The Duke of Sussex, 39, went head-to-head against his longtime friend Nacho Figueras in the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, which will benefit 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 again, ensuring that they were crowned champions of the day.

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

Harry’s turn on the field came towards the end of the day, as the prince wore 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 jewelery and a Valentino purse. 

She 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.

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.

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.

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.

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

We’ll be bringing you all of the action from the polo match so stay tuned…

What is Sentebale?

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.

Prince Harry’s friendship with Nacho Figueras

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.