At a charity polo tournament in the United States, Prince Harry made his first public appearance since welcoming his daughter, Lilibet.

The Duke of Sussex made a surprise appearance at the event and put up an outstanding performance, hitting two goals to assist his side win 3-0 in a round-robin game against the Royal Salute Team and the United States Polo Association Team.

On Thursday, the Duke of Sussex returned to the field in Aspen, Colorado, to raise money for Sentebale, a mental health organization that helps young people in Lesotho and Botswana afflicted by AIDS.

Harry, 36, was all smiles as he mounted his horse, wearing a turquoise shirt and white jodhpurs, only hours after his lawyers wrote legal letters to UK publications denying that he and wife Meghan Markle had “reignited a rift” with his grandmother Queen Elizabeth II.

Sentebale, his charity, garnered £2.5 million from the match.

Harry took part in a polo match in aid of his charity, Sentebale.
MACE / BACKGRID

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During his attendance at the game, Harry revealed that he would be donating $1.5 million from the revenues of his upcoming memoir to the organization.

“I’m thrilled to be able to support Sentebale, both in person and financially through a separate charitable donation to meet this immediate need.

“This is one of several donations I plan to make to charitable organisations and I’m grateful to be able to give back in this way for the children and communities who gravely need it,” he said.

Afterward, he was seen with his friend, Argentine polo star Nacho Figueras, a Sentebale ambassador who was also on the field.

He said of Prince Harry : “How lucky I am to be able to ride along with you in your mission of making the world a better please for people not as fortunate as us.

“It is your commitment and passion to give back that is my inspiration.

“It was so great spending a couple of days with you my friend.”

In 2006, Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho co-founded Sentebale to aid HIV-affected children in Africa.

‘Sentebale is grateful for his personal contribution, which will allow the organization to continue operating at full scale and continue providing critical services to at-risk youth in Southern Africa,’ the charity said in a statement.

The ISPS Handa Polo Cup, an annual polo event, is his first public appearance since his wife, Meghan Markle, announced the birth of their second child in June.

Harry added: “The Sentebale Polo Cup is critical to securing the funds needed to advance this important mission, and I’m thrilled to be able to support Sentebale, both in person and financially, through a separate charitable donation to meet this immediate need.”

The father-of-two appeared to be having a great time getting back into the saddle, and he even assisted in the lifting of the team’s trophy at the end – but his mask obscured any victorious smile.

Due to the Covid-19 epidemic, the charity event has been postponed since 2020. Harry attended in May 2019, only weeks after the birth of his first child, Archie.

Meghan Markle, Harry’s wife, and their two children, Archie, two, and Lilibet, born on June 4, were unable to attend the match, but were undoubtedly cheering him on from afar.