Prince Harry showed off his burgeoning polo skills on Sunday as his team defeated the Prince of Wales and company in a four-chukka charity match at Cirencester Park Polo Club in Gloucestershire. Prince William, in his first public appearance since returning from a three-month tour of Africa, cheered his 16-year-old brother alongside hundreds of spectators, including supermodel Elle Macpherson and former King Constantine of Greece.
“Prince Harry was obviously having great fun,” said a Cirencester club spokesman. “He is a very good young player and he and Charles were playing very hard.” Harry accepted the Mountbatten Polo trophy on behalf of his team, dubbed Princess Juni of Sarilla, after the match which raised £30,000 for the Mountbatten Memorial Trust.
All part of a weekend of fundraising events, Prince Charles splashed out £150,000 for a Highgrove party on Friday night to thank supporters of his favourite charities. Backed by a ten-piece orchestra, Dame Shirley Bassey belted out the theme to Goldfinger as Queen Noor of Jordan, actress Patsy Kensit and Saudi businessman Walid Juffali among others dined on a terrine of salmon, chicken stuffed with wild mushrooms and strawberry meringue.
Guests toured the prince’s impeccably manicured gardens as figures on stilts paraded by. Three bars were hidden amongst the lawns, as were a string quartet and a jazz ensemble, while 56 staff members ensured the night ran smoothly.
“The weeked has guaranteed £3 million in money for charities both here and in the US,” said one aide. “We gave £25,000 to Breakthrough, the breast cancer charity, on the spot yesterday.”
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
Photo: © Alphapress.com
