Prince Harry’s polo pal Nacho Figeueras has shared his heartwarming ‘dream’ for Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet.
The father-of-four, 47, from Argentina, competed against the Duke of Sussex in the Royal Salute Polo Challenge, which took place in Santa Barbara last Friday.
The annual event raises money for Sentebale, the charity founded by Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 to support vulnerable young people in Southern Africa.
Following the match, which saw Royal Salute Sentebale triumph over the Grand Champions, Nacho opened up about his close friendship with the Duke and his ‘dream’ for their families’ future.
In an interview with Hello!, the polo player – who has known Prince Harry since 2007 – said he hopes that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet inherit their father’s love of the sport.
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Pictured: Prince Harry and his polo playing pal Nacho Figueras attend the annual Sentebale charity match
When asked if he’d like Harry’s children to play against his own, Nacho said: ‘I really hope so, I hope that Archie and Lili get to love horses as much as he does.’
Nacho welcomed his first child with his Argentinian photographer wife Delfina Blaquier in 2000. The couple now has four children together: Hilario; Aurora; Artemo; and Alba.
What’s more, Nacho also opened up about his close relationship with the Duke and said they ‘speak very often’.
Following the Sentebale’s team’s win, Nacho praised his ‘very good friend’ Prince Harry on Instagram and labelled his ‘commitment to making a difference’ as ‘truly inspiring’.
The father-of-four wrote: ‘What an incredible day yesterday at the Grand Champions Polo Club, It was a day not just of sport, but of significant purpose.’
‘I’m so proud to have shared this experience with my very good friend, Prince Harry. We came together to support Sentebale, a charity close to our hearts that does remarkable work for children in Lesotho and Botswana.
‘It’s always an honor to ride alongside Prince Harry, whose commitment to making a difference is truly inspiring.
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Pictured: The Duke and Duchess of Sussex with their son Archie during a royal visit to South Africa in September 2019
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Prince Harry’s friend Nacho Figueras has revealed his ‘hopes’ that Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet (pictured) will inherit their father’s love of horses
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‘Here’s to more unforgettable moments and continuing to support the wonderful causes that improve so many lives!
Since 2006, celebrity polo matches around the world have raised about $15 million for the charity, organisers said.
The pair have played polo alongside one another in various matches over the years, and Nacho, 46, has become one of Harry and Meghan’s most vocal supporters, praising them in magazine interviews and during TV appearances.
The father-of-four was also among a handful of the Duke and Duchess’s closest confidantes who appeared in the couple’s Netflix documentary series.
It has also been speculated that Nacho and his glamorous wife Delfina could be regulars in two Netflix series due to be launched by Harry and Meghan as part of their $100 million (£80 million) deal with the streaming giant.
While Meghan’s series is likely to focus on cooking and lifestyle, Harry will showcase his love of polo in another programme as part of the deal.
On Saturday, the Duchess of Sussex was seen warmly hugging Prince Harry’s polo-playing pal Nacho as her husband filmed scenes for his new Netflix series in Palm Beach.
The mother-of-two, 42, also went on to embrace Nacho’s wife Delfina, who has affectionately described the Duchess as her ‘sister’ and ‘polo wife’ in the past.
The two women – who have forged a strong friendship after attending polo matches together to watch their spouses play – were seen walking away from their husbands with their arms wrapped around each other as filming got underway.
Later in the day, Meghan was also seen affectionately greeting the couple’s eight-year-old daughter Alba – giving her a kiss on the head and a warm hug.
Meghan’s daughter Lilibet appears to have forged a close friendship with Alba.
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On Saturday, the couple mingled with spectators and smiled for photos before Harry saddled up to take on a team captained by his dashing Argentine pal, Nacho Figueras
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Meghan Markle seen kissing Nacho Figueras and Delfina Blaquier’s eight-year-old daughter Alba behind the scenes of Netflix filming
According to Hello reporter Alexandra Hurtado, Alba was asking after her friend at the polo event on Friday.
The royal reporter wrote: ‘According to Nacho, Alba wanted to know why the Sussexes’ daughter Lili wasn’t there.’
Alba’s mother Delfina has even previously referred to the Duchess of Sussex as a ‘sister’ when gushing over the ‘fellow polo-wife’ in an Instagram post in 2022.
She also praised the royal mother-of-two as being ‘stronger than she knows’ in an interview with Hello! magazine in the same year.
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Pictured: The late Queen – who passed away in September 2022 – seen beaming at a horse during a visit to the Windsor Horse Show
In 2022, following a glamorous polo meet in Aspen, Colorado, Delfina said: ‘[Meghan] is so wonderful and strong. Stronger than she knows. I love being around my friends, and I will always support her.’
Prince Harry’s grandmother also had a life-long love of horses – after being given a Shetland pony called Peggy at the age of four.
The late monarch’s racing advisor John Warren has previously said that the Queen was discussing her ‘love of horses right to the very end’.
Speaking in September 2022, Mr Warren revealed he spent the weekend before the Queen died in Scotland discussing her horses.
He reflected: ‘We sat there for hours over the weekend strategising and making plans going forward.
‘And I think the nicest thing for me is to know that she was surrounded by her family members. ‘She was in such a healthy state of mind and in tremendous form. It’s very important to know that she was absolutely, wonderfully switched on.’
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