Prince Harry is back in the saddle.
The Duke of Sussex was seen in public for the first time since his baby girl’s Lili’s birth in July as he took part in a charity polo match.
Harry made a surprise appearance at the match in Aspen, Co. on Thursday to raise funds for his charity, Sentebale.
Wearing a turquoise top and white jodhpurs, Harry, 36, was all smiles as he saddled up just hours after his lawyers sent out legal notes to UK papers denying that he and wife Meghan Markle had “reignited a rift” with his grandmother, the Queen.
The updated version of biography “Finding Freedom” claims the couple believe that the Queen had failed to act over their accusations of racism within the royal family.
It suggests that Harry and Markle were “not surprised” at a perceived lack of action over their claim that a senior royal had expressed “concern” about what color their children would be.
The new chapter alleges they took exception to the Queen’s statement following their interview with Oprah Winfrey in March, in which she expressed concern for the couple but insisted that “some recollections may vary”.
Their UK legal team on Thursday insisted that it was false and defamatory to claim the couple have caused more royal tensions, adding that the claims were from the authors of the book, Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand.
Before his polo match, Harry announced that he has committed $1.5 million of the proceeds from his forthcoming memoir – first revealed by Page Six – to the charity.
“This is one of several donations I plan to make to charitable organizations and I’m grateful to be able to give back in this way for the children and communities who gravely need it,” he said in a statement.
Harry co-founded Sentebale in 2006 with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho to help children affected by HIV 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.
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.”
He also noted, “Our refocussed mission at Sentebale is about addressing the most immediate needs of vulnerable children in Southern Africa, helping them access vital health services, receive necessary care, and build skills to be more resilient and self-sufficient in the future.”
Harry has always played in the charity match for Sentebale. Just weeks after his son Archie was born in 2019, he traveled to Rome for his first night away from his son for the event.
