It’s one of summer’s simple pleasures: keeping voyeuristic tabs on the private jet-set’s Moët-popping, speed-boat snogging, and public-showering masquerades as they bounce across the globe.
Pictures of the Pirates of the Mediterranean (Leonardo DiCaprio and Tobey Maguire) cutting up the sea in super yachts pre-stocked with supermodels; Poppy Delevingne settling into a permanent face-lock with boyfriend Prince Constantine Alexios of Greece in Ibiza; and Liz Hurley squishing up to Elton John in his palatial pad in Nice — are all are welcome antidotes to grey office mornings.
But if August celeb-spotting was birdwatching, these guys might as well be starlings — hard to avoid in a 10-mile radius of Saint Tropez. The opposite side of the world has seen a far rarer seasonal sighting, however: Prince Harry, knee-deep in a mid-life, gap year-esque lads romp through Asia. He has certainly leant into the part.
His trip (tied in with charity appearances — “my life is charity, always has been, always will be,” he cooed to a game crowd) is not just Hot Boy Summer enough to rival French President Emmanuel Macron whipping about on his jet ski: it’s a Hot Bro Summer, as well.
Harry has been inseparable from his long-time chum and professional polo player, the impossibly handsome Argentinian Ignacio Figueras (Nacho, for short), since they kicked off their cavorting in Japan on August 8, with the help of a Kobe steak. They also laid out the dress code for the holiday ahead: OOO Hamptons-hopping dads on tour.
After showing off a slim-fit navy suit and unbuttoned pale blue shirt to speak at an ISPS Sports Values Summit in Tokyo (work appearance, check!), Prince Harry was more than game to peel it off for the now infamous ‘Shopping for our wives’ Instagram snap. Oh, it’s a sight to behold: Nacho and Harry in relaxed polo shirts, dark denim, gentle tans and arms crossed to bulk up their biceps. Not to mention the silly shop sunglasses which see Harry go all Tom Cruise Top Gun mode — all that was missing was a barbeque for them to bend into submission, and it’s an A* for the CEO-on-a-break, ‘happy wives happy lives’ aesthetic.
As they left Japan for Singapore on August 10, the looks upgraded to the one per cent’s preferred travel getup. Harry, who might as well have been swooshing out of Cannes airport for the film festival, opted for a light-knitted, slouchy blue blazer thin enough to reveal the white T-shirt worn underneath. Straight, dark denim jeans, rucksack slung over the shoulder, and a beige, corduroy suede pair of slip-ons; a sensible £230 from Californian luxury label Vince. It’s not a shoe to win any sex-appeal contest, but is a nod to the billionaire slip-on of choice, the Loro Piana suede loafer (more of an investment, at £865).
No well-planned blokes’ bender would be complete without a heavy helping of sport, of course. Let the polo commence! A photocall for the SPS Handa Polo Cup at the Singapore Polo Club on August 12 saw the two amigos twinning in their white jodhpurs. Harry wore a dark blue Hugo Boss shirt and his trusty Vince shoes, while Nacho committed to a double-white look with his button-down — Mykonos style.
The match ended in a 7-7 draw. Cue, smiley shots of Harry and Nacho sharing the trophy, loving photos of which really could have been pulled from the new Prime Video film Red, White and Royal Blue, which sees a fictionalised ‘Prince Henry’ fall in love with the First Son of the United States.
Then came a smart casual gala, and a speech from the prince of pastels.
Taking his place at the lectern, Harry sported a pale, duck egg blue linen blazer, linen white shirt, beige chinos and a winning smile — every inch the happy holidaymaker. He might have been missing wife Meghan, and children Archie and Lilibet “very much”, as he told reporters at the polo, but from here, he looked to be having nothing short of a soft-tailored blast.
5 top buys for the Hot Bro Summer wardrobe:
The shoe: Vince’s Pacific Corduroy Suede Sneaker
£230, vince.com
The shirt: Hugo Boss’s Slim Fit Navy Shirt
£89, hugoboss.com
The jeans: Ralph Lauren’s Sullivan Slim Stretch Jean
£119, ralphlauren.co.uk
The glasses: Ray Ban’s Aviator Classic
£147, ray-ban.com
The blazer: Oliver Spencer’s Wyndhams Linen Blazer
£410, harveynichols.com
