Over the years members of the Royal Family have proved to be keen sports fans, frequently spotted at some of the biggest events of the year.
While Lawn Tennis Club patron Kate Middleton favours Wimbledon and the Queen is known to love Royal Ascot, one sport the family seem to all agree on is polo. On Wednesday the Duchess of Sussex came out with baby Archie to support Princes Harry and William at a charity polo match alongside her sister in law Kate Middleton.
It was only inevitable that polo would become a favourite of the royal family, as the sport is commonly known as the “sport of kings” and has a long heritage dating back to the 6th century.
For decades now, members of The Firm, from the Queen Mother to Princess Charlotte have been spotted on the sidelines cheering on the ponies and players. It also isn't a surprise Queen Elizabeth frequently makes an appearance at the polo, given that her love of horses is well documented.
Polo matches also give a glimpse of the royals in a more casual setting, sitting in picnic chairs or getting ready to play.
Royal men have also been known to participate in matches, going back as far as King George VI, who was apparently a big polo fan in his youth.
Since then, Prince Philip, Prince Charles, the Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Sussex have all been seen racing across the lawns on horseback. In most cases, they tend to compete for charity.
Malcolm Borwick, a close friend of the Royal Family and former England polo captain, told Vanity Fair, “Prince Charles has been a great advocate of the game, and he was a very capable polo player, as are William and especially Harry. Polo is a great pleasure for them, but it is also a vehicle to raise money for their charities.”
Prince Harry’s participation in the Sentebale Polo Cup (which saw his team win and Harry secure a victory kiss from Meghan Markle) raised over $1 million for his charity Sentebale, which supports children and young people affected by HIV in Africa.
Borwick continued, “Prince Harry loves playing polo, and to be able to do that while raising money for a cause close to his heart is brilliant.”
Scroll through our gallery above for some vintage royal polo moments from over the years - or check out our highlights below.
Princess Margaret, 1951
In 1951, Princess Margaret attended the polo dressed in a playful skirt suit which featured a whimsical dotted pattern and pleated skirt.
Accessorised with pearls, her quintessential brooch, pearls and a hat, the outfit also included a mini bucket bag which would be bang on trend today.
Prince Philip, 1954
Prince Philip waves to crowds in 1954 with a polo trophy in hand, wearing an all-white sporting ensemble which featured a juxtaposing narrow black collar.
Queen Elizabeth, 1957
Queen Elizabeth is renowned for her bold skirt suits, including this patterned co-ordinated outfit she wore to the polo in 1957. With a full skirt, pearls and court heels, she carried a pair of elegant white gloves in her hand.
Prince Philip, 1961
This shot of Prince Philip is dated 1961, but his tortoiseshell sunglasses wouldn't put him out of place in 2019 Shoreditch.
Princess Margaret and the Queen Mother, 1967
Before Meghan Markle wowed in her yellow Brandon Maxwell sheath dress last year, Princess Margaret stepped out in a similar shade to the polo in 1967.
Prince Andrew, 1967
Today’s Coachella contenders would do well to take style pointers from young Prince Andrew, whose tasselled cowboy jacket is a surprisingly boho look.
Princess Anne, 1970
While today Princess Anne never appears to have a hair out of place, she was gloriously windswept in a floral coat in 1970. If you look closely, you’ll notice that she’s wearing one of Kate Middleton’s favourite accessories: a velvet hair ribbon.
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip, 1975
The reigning monarch and Prince Philip cut a dash on the polo lawn in 1975, with Queen Elizabeth opting for a blue patterned ensemble with striking navy band details.
Prince Charles, 1977
While you wouldn’t catch Prince Charles dead wearing this striking Hermes jumper today, the graphic piece paired with a peekaboo contrast blue collar was one of Charles’ most stylish looks.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles, 1981
In the 80s, the royals relaxed their attire for the polo - paving the way for Princess Diana’s dungarees. She wore them a couple of times to the sporting events over the years, but this yellow piece paired with a floral peter pan collared blouse was impeccably styled.
Princess Diana and Prince Charles, 1982
Back in 1982, a heavily pregnant Princess Diana attended the polo in a floaty pastel pink dress paired with one of her signature jewellery styles: a pearl collar.
Princess Diana, Prince Charles and Sarah Ferguson, 1983
We love a playful print and clearly Princess Diana did too in 1983, choosing a witty sheep-print sweater which featured just one black sheep. Peter Pan collars and pussybow blouses were some of the go-to pieces in her wardrobe, which she combined perfectly here with white denim.
Princess Diana, 1983
Puffy sleeves, a black paintbrush stroke pattern and the bravery to wear white trousers on the grassy polo lawn - what’s not to love about Princess Diana’s look here?
Sarah Ferguson and Prince Andrew, 1986
Prince Andrew dressed in his best finery for the polo in a tailed morning coat, white tie and grey waistcoat combo. Not to be outdone, Sarah Ferguson was a picnic princess in blue gingham and a white boater.
Prince Harry, 1987
It doesn’t get cuter than this. Prince Harry’s collared sweater must have made him the coolest kid in class, with colourful cars and arrows printed all over his top.
Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth, 1987
Ice cream pastels and tailoring were the name of the game for Princess Diana and Queen Elizabeth in 1987. Princess Diana took things to the next level with a funky contrasting blue collared shirt and massive gold earrings.
Princess Diana, 1988
Even when she was off-duty, Princess Diana’s casual looks raised the bar as she stepped out in an oversized blazer, charity sweatshirt, blue jeans and boots - topped off with a very American baseball cap.
Princess Diana, 1988
Princess Di also went bold on print with this colourful abstract floral dress when she presented Prince Charles with a cup.
Sarah Ferguson, 1991
While many members of the Royal Family typically opt for longer hemlines, Sarah Ferguson’s flirtier polkadot dress was perfect for the polo, cinched with a blue horseshoe buckle belt and sling back heels in a similar shade.
Princess Beatrice, 1991
A miniature Princess Beatrice channelled one of 2019’s biggest hair accessory trends: a thick black hairband.
Prince Harry, 2001
16 year old Prince Harry emerged as one of the biggest teen heartthrobs of the Noughties, with this appearance at a 2001 polo match making girls swoon. Wearing an ultra hip bracelet and a striking red and purple collared tee, Queer Eye’s Tan France would also approve of him mastering the French tuck.
Prince Harry, 2003
While we wouldn’t call this one of our favourite outfits, Prince Harry’s look was quintessential early 2000s - complete with a surfer tee and pukka shell necklace.
Prince William, 2004
Prince William’s striking red and white sporting garb was easily noticeable on the polo lawn, as well as his brown leather riding boots.
Kate Middleton, 2008
As with Prince Harry’s 2003 look, Kate’s 2008 outfit was a succinct representation of the style that dominated at the time. The cable knit v-neck sweater, big white leather bag, chunky belt buckle, oversized shades and black skinny jeans were the epitome of the Noughties take on preppy chic.
Kate Middleton, 2012
The Duchess of Cambridge’s suede jacket was an unusually edgy piece for the royal, softened by the brown shade and chic brass button details.
Prince George, 2015
While Prince George appeared a little dubious about the polo, his blue button up cardigan, navy shorts and collared shirt made for a smart outfit. We'll even forgive the crocs.
Meghan Markle, 2018
The Sentebale Polo last year saw Prince Harry take to the field for the charity tournament, but all eyes were on Meghan Markle’s polished Carolina Herrera dress. While the dress was a very classic, figure-flattering silhouette, it was also denim and featured deep pockets - ideal. She appeared again in 2019, taking new baby son Archie Harrison with her.
Kate Middleton, 2018
At the Maserati Royal Charity Polo Trophy in 2018, Kate let her hair down with chic blue dress. The breezy striped piece cost just £40 and was from high street retailer Zara. She paired the look with modest espadrille heels, an ideal height for running after Prince George after his cousin Savannah shoved him down a hill.
Lancaster Sun Care is the proud sponsor of Ladies Day at Chesterton’s Polo in the Park. For a special discount on tickets to this year's event, book here using code LANCASTERPOLO.
